Don't Fear The Reaper
by CrystalTears3
Summary: He was everything she wanted to be. She was everything he never knew he needed. Suck at summeries...Rated M for later chapters. A GAC story Zak Bagans/OC story
1. Overkill

**Still working on my Walking Dead fanfictions but had this little thing floating around in my head through all the writers block in my other stories. Please review. **

_I can't get to sleep _

_I think about the implications_

_Of diving in too deep_

_And possibly the complications_

_Especially at night_

_I worry over situations_

_I know I'll be alright_

_Perhaps it's just imagination_

_Day after Day it reappears_

_Night and night my heartbeat shows the fear_

_Ghosts appear and fade away_

_Alone between the sheets _

_Only brings exasperation _

_It's time to walk the streets_

_Smell the desperation_

_At least there's pretty lights_

_And though there's little variation_

_It nullifies the night from overkill._

_Day after Day it reappears_

_Night and night my heartbeat shows the fear_

_Ghosts appear and fade away_

_Come back another day…_

…_..Colin Hay (Overkill)_

**Chapter 1**

If anyone had told me when I was younger that some day I would be investigating the paranormal I would have laughed outright. Back then I was afraid of everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING. Snakes. Bugs. Dolls. Feet. One of my earliest memories was my sister telling me of a clown that snatched children from their homes when it was dark right before she pushed me into my closet and barricaded the door. I was so terrified that even when my mom came to the rescue me, I was frozen to the spot. She had gotten grounded and I saw a possible future filled with therapy sessions explaining how traumatized I had been.

That all changed when I was fourteen and my grandmother passed away. She was my everything. When my parents divorced and my father, whom I had always been close to, began pulling away, grandma had become my emotional touchstone. She kept me from sliding into depression and becoming a shut in. She always knew what to say to make me feel better and get my ass out from the rock I wanted to crawl under. After her funeral was over and I returned to the silence and security of my bedroom, I remember curling up in the corner in the dark. I cried so hard my eyes and chest burned and my breathing had turned into long chocking sobs. I had never lost someone close to me and couldn't figure out how people moved on from that kind of pain. I had quieted down long enough to notice the feeling of calm that slowly began to rise up from the pit of my stomach. I thought this was what people meant when they told you to "let it all out." Maybe I had actually cried all the pain from my body. I felt an odd sense of peace. A peace that I only felt when I was in the presence of my grandma. I could feel my hair sway slightly as if a breeze had passed through the room even though the window was closed. What felt like fingers touched the back of my neck and I would have jumped right out of my skin if it didn't remind me of how she used to rub my head to put me to sleep when I was little. I was being touched by something I couldn't' see and somehow it wasn't scary or unfamiliar. It felt safe.

"Gram?" I whispered to the darkness.

I heard nothing but continued to feel the tickle on the back of my neck.

"_I love you" _The dark echoed back to me and just as soon as it started, the physical contact left the back of my neck and the room grew quiet again, leaving only solace.

After that night I buried my nose in anything I could get my hands on. I wanted to learn everything and anything I could about the paranormal. I wanted to know about the things that other people had experienced. I wanted to know that what I felt that night wasn't some figment of my strained imagination. When I felt like the books and endless magazine articles and newspaper clippings could no longer sustain my appetite, I began saving money to visit the places I read about. To talk to some of the people I had read about and get a feeling for these places myself. When most places turned out to be gas leaks or crazies as I called them, seeking attention, every now and then I'd strike gold. A house or building with cold spots, EVP's, shadow figures all tied up nicely with a truly horrifying story as the bow on top. Every investigation grew more complex and interesting the more equipment I was able to buy with whatever side jobs I had. After fifteen years of doing all this on my own, I finally decided to begin looking for other people that shared in my passion. I was lucky enough to find that in two of the women I worked with. Mandy and Shelly. We were having drinks after work one night and ended up talking for the next six hours about our experiences and beliefs in the paranormal. Shelly's came from the house she lived in with her now ex husband. She said she used to find random things disappear then reappear in odd places and her sons used to tell her that they were visited at night by a little girl that wanted to play with them. When Mandy was a teenager she decided to join a group of friends for some underage drinking in the woods near a cemetery. That night she recalled seeing shadow figures moving among the trees and when dared by a friend to fling insults at the darkness to entice them, she ended up with large scratches down her back.

Both the girls were genuinely interested in the research I was doing and took it all just as seriously as I did. We had a shared love for the unexplained. They both began accompanying me to jobs I was interested in. They would even call places on their downtime to see if they would allow us to investigate more historical places. We all clicked together and that was very apparent in the video evidence we were collecting. When Mandy had mentioned to me about uploading some of our better material onto you tube, I was hesitant at first, worried more about what rude and negative things people would say for the simple idea of saying it. However, I also thought it would give us a little more exposure and deem us a legitimate paranormal team if any of the places we were trying to get into investigate were concerned. Pretty soon a few hit's a day turned into hundreds and hundreds turned into thousands. There were still shitty comments "They must only hunt ghosts three weeks out of the month" and "how long till one of them starts crying" were a couple of my favorites. But the good outweighed the bad. People wanted to tell their own stories and learn more about all of us. One fan even dubbed us the "Paranormal Hot Squad" which the girls loved but I refused to call us. After awhile, we started our own website and began acquiring fans on there as well. We put up videos and pictures and back stories of places we went and would take feedback from people that had ideas of places they knew to be active. We put up our bios which made me laugh every time I saw them cause we sounded like a gothic profile.

My name is Jess Blades. I'm an Italian Irish girl from Chicago. I'm 5'5, 115 pounds with dark brown hair and grey eyes. My hobbies include reviewing audio and visual footage for hours at a time, talking to the darkness, and pissing off evil dead people.

Lame. I know. But for whatever reason, the website was becoming more and more popular. For once women, instead of men, were the head honchos of this operation and it was a fresh take on things. My only hope was that all this attention was going to give us that big brass ring that always seemed to be out of reach. I wanted to play with the big boys.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

I got into my car and slammed the door with a heavy sigh. The last nine hours of bartending had crawled at such a snails pace that even getting up the energy to put the key in the ignition would be a task in itself. It had been unusually busy for a Wednesday night but not busy enough to make time fly. Pushing my fingertips to my heavy eye lids I took a couple deep breaths and enjoyed the silence that three am in a near empty parking lot brought.

"_Thirty more minutes and you'll be curled up in bed. Suck it up buttercup." _I mentally reprimanded myself.

Bartending wasn't my first job of choice, but, it gave me the ability to work only three to four days a week and make enough to pay for my living expenses and still have money on the side. It also gave me time to focus on what I was passionate about. Just as I was about to pull out of the parking lot, Foreigners "Hot Blooded" blared from my purse on the passenger seat. I smiled wearily. The ringtone was reserved for my two best friends and fellow bartenders, Mandy and Shelly. Appropriately assigned to announce their phone calls after a night of drunken karaoke I would rather have forgotten. I looked down at the caller ID. _Mandy._

"Chick it is three in the morning! What the hell are you doin' up?" I asked, not bothering with the regular formal greeting of any other call.

"Hello to you too." Mandy responded back, slurring her last two words. "Just cause I didn't work tonight didn't mean I was going to be sitting in front of my television channel surfing."

I scoffed into the phone. That was my M.O. Sitting in my Pajamas on the weekend and looking over old evidence, researching new places, trying to acquire any kind of literature I could to better myself as an investigator. Perhaps there was a part of me that was also trying to portray myself as the perfect "housewife." Until recently.

"Where you at?" I asked, pushing my finger to my other ear to try to hear her past the loud music in the background "Are you still out? Do you need a ride?"

I held my breath. If she was to drunk to drive I would be there in a heartbeat. However, the spirit was willing but the sore tired body was weak.

"Sure am!" she yelled back "Shelly and I are up at The Trap celebrating!"

"HEY JESS! GET YOUR SKINNY ASS UP HERE!" Shelly giggled in the background.

I rolled my eyes. The Trap was a four am bar we frequented after work sometimes. Even during the week it was packed with people that had been drinking way more then they should and desperate to get in every last ounce of alcohol like it was their last night on earth.

"Girl I am tired! I think I'm gonna have to take a rain check. What are you two dingalings celebrating anyway?"

I could hear their hard whispered hisses of disappointment in the background followed by "_Just tell her" _and _"No I wanna see her face"_

"Hello?" I said louder then intended, trying to hide the annoyance in my tone.

"Alright" Mandy sighed into the phone "What if I told you that I got a call back from Rebecca at Bobby Mackey's Music World?"

I pushed the brake and stopped dead in the middle of the empty road "I'd say I'm turning around"

"And what if I told you she seemed okay with us coming there?" She continued.

"I'd say order me a beer cause I'm on my way" I hung up the phone and cut the steering wheel as hard as I could, making an illegal U-Turn and heading to meet up with the girls.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

I pulled into the small parking lot and crammed my small Elantra into the first parking spot I could find. I did a quick once over of my make up in the rear view mirror before grabbing my purse and heading up to the entrance of the packed bar. I spotted Shelly standing outside smoking and flirting with the tall bouncer she had had a crush on since he started working there. Her eyes lit up when she spotted me across the parking lot.

"JESS!"

Shelly was 36, the oldest out of our little group. She was 5'7 and about 110 pounds wet. Her curly brown hair was pulled up in a messy bun allowing her red lips to beam even brighter then usual. Her blue eyes peaked out from under her partially closed eyelids.

I plastered a smile on my face and waved half heartedly. Truth was the girls were a blast, but I was just to excited to talk to Mandy and to sober to deal with her drunken antics at the moment.

"Long night?" The bouncer asked, lifting up his hand to give me the usual high five.

I rolled my eyes and offered my hand to him while Shelly looked on with a huge smile.

"Well you got me up here. Now I want all the details." I said following her into the bar.

The music was pounding and people were stationed around the long bar in groups making it impossible to move to the back by the tables. Shelly grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd. Her thin frame making it easy for her to maneuver through without knocking into to many people. I waved to a few of the regulars I knew while scanning the bar for Mandy. She was sitting at a table and wordlessly fumbling with her cell phone while some male random leaned down to her ear to try to get her attention. She looked up and smiled politely while stirring her drink. Her annoyance displayed clearly on her face. Then again, she was used to getting all the unwanted attention.

Mandy was the baby of the group. She was 28 and gorgeous. Her straight blonde hair fell just past her shoulders and always seemed to lay perfectly. She was just a smidge shorter then myself but her frame was much more leaner then my own. I admired her free spirit and her "whatever" attitude that was similar to my own.

She looked over and noticed Shelly and I walking towards the table. She gave us both a wide eyed "Help Me" look that couldn't help but make me laugh to myself.

I pulled one of the chairs out at the table and slammed my purse down while looking over at the drunk guy who glared back at me in confusion. I threw my arm around Mandy and squeezed her shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late baby. Work ran later then expected." I glanced up at the guy as if I had just noticing him "Oh I didn't know they had waiters here. A round of drinks for everyone my friend. And whatever shots my beautiful ladies want."

Shelly held her hand over her mouth to hide the smile as the guy backed away from the table and faded into the crowd of people on the dance floor.

"Pimp" Mandy laughed, sliding my Blue Moon pint over.

"I'm not a lesbian but I play one at The Trap." I joked, taking a sip of my beer and slamming it back down on the table. "Okay you better not have got me here under false pretenses."

"Nope" Shelly shook her head and squeezed into one of the chairs across from me "Rebecca told Mandy she tried getting a hold of you first but when you didn't answer she called her."

I slapped my hand against my forehead. I thought back to earlier today when I had gotten out of the shower and noticed the missed call from a number I didn't recognize. They don't leave messages, I don't call back.

"Okay…so" I waved my hands in front of her like I was trying to pull the information out of her.

Mandy and Shelly both shared a sideways glance and smiled at each other.

"She still wants to talk to you buuuut" Mandy gave a dramatic pause and took a sip of her drink. I had to stop myself from reaching over and pulling the straw out of her mouth.

"WE GOT IT!" Shelly yelled and clapped her hands together. "We get to investigate Bobby Mackey's!"

I let out a hard breath of relief while both the girls drunkenly giggled.

"Oh my god" I ran a hand through my dark hair "I can't believe it. But why do they wanna talk to me first?"

"Well I didn't want to answer for all of us since I didn't know how you were gonna feel about it, but they have another team that is going to be investigating that same week and we would have to split the time with them."

I groaned and rubbed my finger against the falling condensation of my pint glass. That would mean a possible contamination of evidence. How would we know if we were getting anything legit with other people being there.

"She didn't tell you the best part of it though." Shelly laughed, looking past me to wave to someone.

My eyes darted to Mandy who was already smiling at me while biting the straw between her teeth. I cocked my head to the side as if to say "Really?"

"Okay, Okay" Mandy deflated "The other team that's going to be there is the one from the Travel Channel."

"Ghost Tales?" I asked, raising an eyebrow

"Adventures" The girls said in unison followed by a fit of laughter.

"Whatever" I took another swig of beer and thought for a moment "You're talking about the my name is Zak something or other show"

Mandy opened her mouth to say something when Shelly slapped her hand on her shoulder.

"It's last call I'm gonna go grab us some celebration shots."

"Zak Bagans." Mandy corrected.

We watched as Shell slid her way between two guys and motioned for the bartender. I laughed and shook my head. Mandy nudged my shoulder and when I turned to face her I noticed the genuine sincerity behind her eyes that took me a little off guard.

"I know it's not the best of circumstances. Hell, we might get out there and they can say to hell with your little internet show, we have BIG time investigators coming in. But we've been dying for this opportunity since we all got involved in this Jess. Besides, I think it will be good for you to get out of the house and roadtrip it with your girls." She hesitated for a moment. "Tim move out yet?"

I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked in a breath. Between work and this excitement, I had nearly forgotten. I would be going home to an empty house for the first time in two years. I swallowed the lump rising up in my throat and nodded.

"Today" I said, not loud enough for her to even hear over the music.

Tim and I had been together for four years and lived together for two. When both of us had come to the conclusion neither of us were ready to take the next step, our relationship became more like friends then lovers. He also couldn't handle the fact that I wanted to do the "Investigation stuff" as he called it, full time. I was to old to be trying to make our little show bigger then it was. It had "peaked" as far as he was concerned. Not to mention I had been starting to bring work home with me when Tim started having nightmares and we began seeing strange things around the house. For a skeptic, it was just to hard for him to swallow.

Three full shot glasses slammed down in front of me, snapping me from my thoughts. "Reeeeed Staaaaag!" Shelly sung out.

Mandy kept her eyes on me as she slid one of the glasses over.

"Ya know that Zak is pretty hot" she said, wagging her shoulders up and down "I watched a couple episodes on the computer last night. Nice body."

"That's all you chick. Good looking guys with huge egos because they probably have.." I wiggled my pinky suggestively in the air making the girls giggle "Not to mention I've grown out of the bad boy stage. I got that out of my system in my early twenties" Just as the words came out of my mouth I locked eyes with the DJ that was the embodiment of all my bad decisions.

"Well, are we doing this or what?" Shelly was spinning the glass on the table with anticipation.

"Yeah, you know I love Red Stag" I giggled holding up the glass.

"No Jess. She means Bobby Mackey's. Are we doing it or what?"

Two sets of eyes peered at me from over their shot glasses waiting for my okay. I pulled my bottom lip through my teeth and smirked.

"Well it there's one thing I love more then shots it's ghost huntin'" I mocked in my best southern drawl "I'll call Rebecca tomorrow and let her know we're in if they'll have us."

We all gave a celebratory whistle as we clinked our glasses together and threw back the my shot, shutting my eyes and enjoying the slow burn down my throat.

I had waited for this moment for the past fifteen years. I wouldn't let it slip through my grasp because of some tv show that was probably fake to begin with. Right?

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a quick talk in the parking lot, I said my goodbyes to the girls and headed back home with a second wind. All I could think of was how many more hours I had left till I would he able to call Rebecca and confirm our plans. I turned through all the morning talk radio before stopping on "Call Me Maybe" a one time humorous bar song that became one of the most overplayed obnoxious songs ever written. In this moment however, it was the only upbeat thing I could find. My personal "American Idol" moment was cut short as I went to park my car at the curb and my headlights landed on my empty driveway. On nights I worked I parked on the street so Tim didn't have to move my car from behind his when he left for work in the morning. Guess I didn't have to do that anymore. I pulled into the driveway and shut the car off. I rested my head on the steering wheel and whispered words to convince myself it would be okay. I got out of the car and walked slowly up to the front door. In my head I saw Tim standing there shoving a piece of toast into his mouth with a cup of coffee in his other hand, giving me his "you were out with the girls again" look. I shook the image from my head and sucked in a breath as I put the key in the door. The dim light from the lamp above the sink barely illuminated the entryway as the door creaked open loudly. In the past couple years I had brought things home with me after investigations to the point where things happening in my small house were not uncommon. Nothing prepared me for how unnerving it would be to walk into an empty house. Made worse only by the sudden absence of Tim's things in places I could remember them being. I made my way into the kitchen where the dreaded "final goodbye" letter awaited me followed by his set of keys. I opened up the paper slowly and was surprised by the shortness or the letter even though I knew there really wasn't anything to say.

_Dear Jess,_

_I don't even know why I'm writing this. I guess I thought there would be more to say but now that I have a pen in my hand I'm realizing there wasn't anything I could say that hasn't already been said. I want you to know I'll always have a place for you in my heart and wish for nothing but your happiness. Maybe down the line we can be friends again. I'll miss you. _

_Love Always _

_Tim._

I crumpled the paper in my hand and threw it in the trash. If I didn't get rid of it I would spend all morning dissecting every word and crying into chips and dip while listening to Adele. I stood in the silence of the kitchen for a few moments longer before going in the refrigerator and snatching out an old bottle of Moscato that had been in there since the last girls night over a month ago. I willed myself to get a glass from the cabinet and not drink straight from the bottle to make myself look less like I was a alcoholic drinking wine at almost five in the morning. Oh well, it was my after work hours anyway. I put my glass down next to my laptop and started it up while I removed my make up and threw on a pair of yoga pants and tank top for bed. I returned and brought up Bobby Mackey's and Ghost Adventures simultaneously. I saw the pictures of the three guys from the show in front of Bobby Mackey's about to walk in. I scoffed. They had already been there not once but twice and they wanted to go a THIRD time that just had to be the time we were allowed.

"Haunted house hogs." I grumbled.

I clicked through different video's of the GAC crew as they called themselves. Videos from their scariest moments of the show and Aaron's Vlog's. I couldn't decide what was more humorous, the candid videos that were aired only online or their actual lockdowns. I brushed it off as every other show that was on television, each competing to see if they can over act the others. I refused to fall into the same category as them. Whether it got the girls and I on television or not, I was happy getting facts and nothing but the facts then lying to gain viewers. The clock on the other side of my bedroom read six a.m. and a little bit of light was beginning to peak out from underneath my room darkening blinds. I closed up the laptop and crawled my way onto the bed whistling for my cat Moose to come cuddle up with me. The overweight calico cat waddled her way into the room and barely made the jump onto the bed. I patted the pillow next to mine while resetting the time for the alarm to go off.

"Five hours." I said aloud, clicking the bedside lamp off.

Five more hours and I would be able to call Rebecca and lock this one into the books and begin sending out the good news to all our internet viewers. This would be the one that got us noticed.

**XXXXXXXXXX **


	2. Black

**Hmm..no reviews but a thanks to RainbowShelby and Kiyofugi for the alerts!.**

_When is everything has turned to black_

_You don't know where to go_

_You need something to justify your soul_

_Silences are broken _

_Confidence is gone_

_When everything you're holding onto falls_

_All the people selling truths on every corner now_

_They wait until the fear has knocked you down_

_All the rules are changing now_

_You're living in sin_

_Everything around you is caving in_

_And all you're holding onto slipping like water through your hands_

_And you sing la la la la_

_La la la la _

_La la la la la.._

_Yeah you sing La la la la_

_La la la la_

_La la la la la…_

…_Kari Kimmel (Black)_

**Chapter 2**

"I just know that we're going to forget something. I had dreams about it last night"

I looked over my shoulder at Mandy who was busy with her nose down in a notebook taking inventory of all the cases of equipment by my front door.

It had been a month since I had talked to Rebecca at Bobby Mackey's Music World and confirmed the date to investigate. Which was a month of prepping, studying, and working on the stomach ulcer I was sure I had acquired from stressing out. The girls and I couldn't afford even the smallest hiccup in our little operation.

"Stop!" Mandy threw her arm around my neck in a partial headlock "We've checked over all our equipment four times already. It's all here."

"You're right" I sighed "I just wish we would've kept all this stuff at your place. I don't need things to go missing suddenly like they usually do."

"My apartment wouldn't be any better." Mandy said, dragging one of the cases to the door "The other day I was late for work cause my car keys were missing from the tray by the front door. When I finally found them, they were on top of the washing machine in the laundry room."

I furrowed my brows "So?"

"I drove to the gas station earlier that day. I haven't done laundry in two days.

I laughed. Ever since we started this occupation, sometimes things would follow us home. We've all been lucky enough to not have anything bad attach itself, but every now and then we'd get a restless spirit or poltergeist that was hell bent on making itself known.

Outside the screen door, there was the sound of steadily increasing music followed by a horn honking loudly in the driveway.

"Let's get this show on the road ladies!" Shelly yelled, jumping from her large SUV.

"You should not be this awake this early" I yelled to her "If that's the case you're doing all the driving."

Shelly gave me a giant smile and reached back into the van, presenting Mandy and I with two Starbucks coffees. Mandy squealed and snatched it out of her hands.

"This still doesn't get you off the hook" She said taking a drink "Jess and I have been packing up all the gear for the past two hours. You're driving."

Shelly pouted and grabbed a case from the front door. "I barely slept last night. I was too excited. Not just for the investigation, but also getting out of town with my girls for a few days"

"Well it's work Shell. Not a vacation." I reprimanded.

"Meeeow" She shot back. "I'm just saying.."

Mandy threw an arm over my shoulders "Don't mind her Shell. She's been a brat all week. She'll loosen up."

I shook her off and stuck my tongue out at the both of them.

**XXXXX**

Seven hours seemed to fly by in the van. We only stopped a couple times to grab gas and road snacks, all the while talking about Bobby Mackey's dark history in between singing to the radio and giggle fits from all the caffeine. Just as my eyes were beginning to grow heavy, our van pulled into the parking lot of the hotel.

"We're heeerrre" Shelly sung, throwing the beast into park.

"Ugh" Mandy jumped out and grabbed her rear "All I wanna do is crawl into bed and take a nap."

"Nope" I shook my head "We got enough time to check in, change and head to Mackey's. We're supposed to be there by 2 for the walk through."

Both the girls groaned and started taking out bags from the back of the van while I went to check us in.

I walked into the hotel lobby and looked around. Aside from a bar off to the side with a bartender that was staring at me curiously, the place was eerily empty. My sneakers squeaked on the floor prompting a young brunette to suddenly come to life behind the desk.

"Welcome to Wilder. Ms. Blades I would assume?"

"Been waiting for us eh?" I asked.

"Well it's been slow around here lately so I figured as much" She smiled and began clicking at the keys on her computer. "Most people stay at the bigger hotels but this one is closer to Bob Mackey's so it's pretty much the only time we get people booking rooms in groups."

I raised an eyebrow "How did you know we were going to Mackey's?"

"Cause Bobby is my uncle and he told me you were going to be doing an investigation of his place." She smiled "Small town living. Everyone knows everyone."

"Ever had any experiences you'd mind talking about? We could use some interviews for our website."

The girl laughed and ran her fingers along the keyboard "Sure. But I should let you know I promised Aaron and Nick that I would do an interview for them too. I don't know if that would complicate anything."

"Nick and Aaron?"

"Oh sorry" She laughed "Nick and Aaron are from the Ghost Adventures crew. They've been coming her since they first investigated Uncle Bob's place. Every time they've come out to do a show on his place business gets really good so I kind of feel obligated…"

"It's okay" I interrupted, trying to keep my annoyance in check "anything you could offer up would be just fine. I know they claimed their spot first.I gave her my credit card and she passed it back with three room keys. "Well maybe you can discuss it with them. Ya'll we'll be staying on the same floor."

_Great_. I wanted to say but didn't want to sound rude. Instead I smiled and headed back out to the parking lot to get the girls. Bad enough our time would be cut short because of those guys but now there was the definite possibility of running into them.

I walked outside and laughed, watching Mandy and Shelly already making friends with a guy in dark jeans and a gray t-shirt by the van. I couldn't make out what they were talking about, but the conversation was very animated and both girls faces read intrigue. His eyes followed theirs as they both looked up when I approached. Mandy was the first to stand up and awkwardly pull at the bottom of her tank top, like a child that just got caught doing something that they weren't supposed to be.

"Oh my god! Can we please go into the air conditioning now. Even if it's just for a few minutes? I need actual food and some Red Bull." She said, avoiding my confused stare.

"We're all checked in. Got about a half hour before we gotta head out."

The man in front of me smiled a very friendly smile and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Shelly broke the tension.

"Jess, this is Nick."

"Nick Groff right?" my memory finally catching up with me and remembering the goatee and gelled back hair from the you tube videos. I extended my hand.

"Yeah" he took my hand in a shy manner and scratched the side of his head "I was just telling the girls here about our experiences at Mackey's. Think it's really cool you guys are going to get to see it for the first time."

I nodded and smiled politely. I know he was being nice but in my mind I saw it as cockiness. It must have been evident on my face as Shelly practically threw one of my bags to me.

"Well it was nice to meet you Nick." She yelled back while walking me towards the entrance to the lobby "We'll see you guys around the next few days."

"Good luck girls."

Once the doors shut behind us, I gave them both a wide eyed look as if to say _What the hell?!_

"He was nice and started talking to us. We're like the only people in this hotel." Mandy shot back. "We're gonna run into them eventually."

"I didn't say anything." I started heading towards the rickety elevator and could almost feel Mandy and Shelly's eyes burning my back. "What?" I shrugged.

"Well if there was any chance in us being 'friendly' that might have just ended with the death glare you gave him." Mandy snorted.

I rolled my eyes as the doors shut behind us. I wasn't here to make friends. I was here to work.

**XXXXXX**

I threw all my things on top of my bed and changed into a basic red tank and a pair of jeans. I pulled out all the notebooks and binders full of all the information that I gathered in the last few weeks about Mackey's. The stories and experiences from witnesses were almost overwhelming. I wanted to go over everything again before we left but there was no time. I grabbed a fresh notepad with a couple pens and shoved my key card in my back pocket. It was nice to know we wouldn't have to load all the equipment till the actual investigation in two days. Today was just for meeting with Bobby Mackey and getting to know the areas that were most active. I was surprised to find Shelly and Mandy already waiting for me outside in the hallway. They were both dressed rather risqué for a simple walkthrough and were parading themselves up and down the hallway like a couple of supermodels.

"What are you guys up too?"

They both jumped and started giggling. Mandy ran over and grabbed my arm while we walked to the elevator.

"Well…I know you don't like the fact that they're here, but Shell and I wanna get a glance of the "boss man."

"Boss man?"

"Zak Bagans" Shelly said, coming up to capture my other arm "You said there was no fraternizing with the enemy but you didn't say we couldn't look."

"I never said you couldn't 'fraternize' with them. I said I didn't want them in.."

Mandy held a finger up to my lips "We know how you feel. But we need a hot guy to pine over while we're here. So if we're good little girls and do everything mommy tells us can we PLEASE play with the other kids?"

Her pout made me laugh.

"Okay. But I want all business while we're at Mackey's. No Zak. No Ghost Adventures. No nothing but what we came here to do."

"Yes ma'am" she said, giving me a mock salute.

**XXXXXX**

I held a hand above my eyes to shield them from the sun as I looked up at the old bar. Bobby Mackey's Music World. _Finally._ As we grew closer, I felt my stomach flip a few times. I brushed it off as nerves and proceeded trail Mandy and Shell to the entrance. The place already looked spooky from the outside. Perhaps from age or the lack of customers due to it being closed in the daytime. It was like a sleeping giant waiting to spring to life the moment the sun went down. I was so focused on the building itself I hadn't realized Shelly had already knocked on the door and I almost jumped when it clicked open and swung back with a loud moan. An older man in a beat up cowboy hat now stared back at us with a warm inviting smile.

"You must be the 2 o'clock"

"Um..y..Yes" I said, springing to back to life "My name is Jess and this is Mandy and Shelly. We're Chicago Paranormal."

"Nice to meet you ladies" he tipped his hat "I'm Bob Mackey. Come on in"

The girls and I both smiled at one another as Mr. Mackey held the door open for us. My stomach flip flopped once again, spinning till it was almost painfully tight. My feet crossed the threshold and I suddenly began to feel like prey that had just been swallowed by a ravenous beast. There was a gust of cold air that blew passed my cheeks and tickled my eyelashes as the door shut behind me. Air conditioning I assumed. The lingering smell of cigarette smoke, stale beer and hard alcohol invaded my nostrils immediately. It was like any other bar, but there was a strange unfamiliarity I couldn't put my finger on. The flash of Shelly's camera broke me from my thoughts. I looked over to see her snapping away at the old mustard colored sign by the entrance that warned about the building being haunted. Below it was newspaper clippings and articles about all the ghostly encounters and advertisements for ghost tours.

"Take all the pictures you want" The older man said, pulling a bandanna from his back pocket to wipe the sweat from his brow. "If you ladies have any questions feel free to ask. Don't think there's anything I haven't been asked before." He smiled.

Mandy and Shelly jumped at the invitation and began asking the usual things. _When did you purchase the building? If it's housing evil spirits, why do you continue to keep it?_

I fumbled through my oversized bag to find my research papers and small camera so we could begin to film the interview, when I noticed my hands trembling. It was small tremors that led to uncontrollable shaking. I wasn't cold. I wasn't scared. I took a deep breath and tossed my hair over one shoulder.

"Here I'll get it. You're the one that knows more then Shell and I do." I hadn't heard Mandy come up from behind me to remove the camera from my hand. She looked at me quizzically "You alright chick? You're shaking like a leaf."

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm alright" my lips twitched in the attempt to smile "To much caffeine and not enough food."

My excuse must have been sufficient enough for her as she nodded and began making adjustments to the camera. I turned my attention to Shelly and Bob talking to one another near the bar.

"I really appreciate you letting us talk with you Mr. Mackey. I know you're place has had a lot of investigators. We were just happy we could be one of them."

"Please call me Bob or Bobby." He smiled back at me "And it's my pleasure. Things like this are good for business."

"Okay. Well we're just going to ask some questions that were sent to us by the fans of our website and then if you would give us a tour of you're place we'll be out of your hair in an hour or two.

"Sounds just fine" He said in a southern drawl.

Mandy began filming the interview while Shell took pictures all around the bar, pausing a few times to review them quickly. We discussed the highly publicized exorcism of former caretaker Carl Lawson back in 1991 and the legend of Johanna the dancer when it was the Latin Quarter club who was pregnant and committed suicide when she found out her father murdered her lover. I was trying so hard to focus on the questions I had written down but I could feel my voice shaking with every passing minute. The feeling in my stomach only seemed to get worse. It had gotten to the point where I had to tell Mandy to stop filming so I could get some water in me.

"Not use to this Kentucky heat" I told Bob as I took an uneasy drink from my water bottle.

He looked me over once before shaking his head and pulling a chair out from one of the tables for me to sit down at. He perched himself at the opposite corner of the table.

"Don't be embarrassed. Wouldn't be the first time."

"What? City folk always passing out from heat exhaustion in you're place?" I laughed.

"Aw hell girl. Ain't no sunstroke makin' ya sick and ain't no air conditioner makin' ya shake like that." He held up one of his hands to the vent above us, prompting me to do the same.

"No air." I whispered.

"We don't leave the air conditioner runnin' all day while no one's here. We don't turn that on till couple hours before we open." He shrugged "Some people are just more sensitive to this place then others"

I looked over at Mandy and Shelly on the empty dance floor flipping through the pictures together. Biting the inside of my cheek, I slid my chair a little closer to the table and looked up at Bob.

"Can I ask you something? OFF the record?"

He nodded.

"What about the claims that none of these stories are true? That through the years all these stories became so fabricated because of the media that the real stories are no longer being told. I mean this place is supposed to have the "Gateway To Hell" in it. Sounds like someone watched Amityville a little to much."

I suddenly felt like I had said way to much by the way he adjusted his hat and scoffed at my last statement. _Aw crap. He's going to tell us to get our shit and get the hell out of here. _

Instead, he looked over at me and shrugged "I'd tell those people to stay a night in this place and then they can tell me how "fake" it is."

He looked up at the clock behind the bar and rose back to his feet.

"We gotta get this moving again. I got the boys coming in a couple hours. Think you'll be alright to continue?"

"Yeah" I pushed my chair back in and grabbed my water from the table "I didn't mean to offend you or.."

"Oh hell I ain't offended" he laughed "I used to be a skeptic too. Up till my something spooked my wife so bad she hasn't stepped foot in this place and then Carl havin' to be exorcized, I thought they were just stories that would be good for business. You'll learn. We all do. Come on" he waved towards the back door. "I'll take you to Hell's gate."

"Holy shit Jess look at all the orbs Shelly caught." Mandy ran up with the digital camera and practically shoved my face into the screen.

I pulled back and scrolled through. She was right. Not only were there orbs but they were perfectly formed orbs which were rare to catch on camera.

"Wow that is awesome" I said, passing it back.

"You didn't see the best one. Kinda freaky." Shelly took the camera and scrolled through to the beginning before passing it back to me.

My eyes grew wide. There was a picture of me standing at the table when I was looking for the video camera. To the right of my arm, was a large perfectly round orb and another near my leg on the other side.

"I think they're sweet on you sugar" Mandy joked, doing her best southern belle accent.

"Well good." I cleared my throat "That gets you guys out of having to go into the worst spots in this place for the investigation. I'll save them for myself."

There was a blast of hot air in the room as Bob held open the door to lead us out of the bar and into the attached building.

This is what I was waiting for. This was the place I had memorized every night. The huge hole in the ground where the well once stood. The well that Pearl Bryans head was allegedly tossed into for a ritualistic sacrifice. The place where most of the attacks on caretakers, employees and investigation groups had occurred.

This building looked like a house. It was old and falling apart in comparison to the brick bar attached to it. Outside the wooden door stood another man. He was tall and heavy, not just with extra weight but with muscle. He wore a security hat and matching security shirt. His lips drew up into a tight smile when his eyes landed on us.

"Well hello." Shell said in her usual saucy way.

Mandy and I both chuckled into our hands so not to seem rude. Bob stopped just shy of the door and gestured towards the other man.

"Girls this is where I'm gonna leave ya. I don't really go in there anymore and Matt here can answer all you're questions. Zak and the guys are gonna be here in a little bit and I gotta do some work in the office 'for they do. I'll see ya'll when you're done."

We waved and turned back to Matt who was looking at us like he had just hit the jackpot. Shelly put her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth from her heels to the tips of her toes then back again like a little girl with a wide grin on her face.

He wrestled with the lock on the door for a moment before throwing it wide open and giving us a rather mischievous grin.

"Well ladies..Welcome to Hell's gate.

"Thanks" I rolled my eyes. _Thanks_ wasn't exactly the appropriate response to that, but I was more focused on the inside of this place. Unlike the bar, this place was unsettling right from the get go. I could tell I wasn't the only one feeling that way. I noticed Mandy bite the corner of her lower lip and draw closer to Shelly who was inching closer to Matt. This place was really like a tomb. Silent and cold despite the random dust covered bar paraphernalia that was sprinkled around the open space. The knot in my stomach twisted farther with every step I placed on the cold deteriorated cement.

Matt reached over and flicked the light switch on the wall and a lone bulb swinging from a cord on the other side of the room blinked on. The dim orange glow did little to make the place look any less menacing. I waved for the girls to start filming and taking photos but both seemed hesitant to back away from the giant hovering behind them.

"Where is the hole where the well once was?" I asked.

"It's off to the left over that way" he pointed a chubby finger in the direction "Be careful near the railing though. It's falling apart and can't hold weight.

Shell was the first to grew heroic and drift away from Matt's side. Her hands shook as she lifted up the camera to her eye. Mandy took a deep breath and held the camera up to start filming. I grabbed a small flash light from my purse and shined it where light was absent around the large dark hole.

"A..alright Matt. Tell us what happens down here. We know the story about Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling allegedly killing Scott Jackson's pregnant girlfriend Pearl Bryan and tossing her head down the well.."

"Satanist right?" Shelly asked, peaking over the camera.

I nodded and looked back at Matt who straightened up and pulled at his shirt once he noticed that Mandy turned the camera on him.

"Um..yes. Yes, that is story. Scott implicated Alonzo in the murder and both were convicted and the last to be hung in Newport in 1897."

I nodded again in response to the exact historical facts "And what kind of personal experiences have you had down here Matt?"

"Oh man let's see" He ran a large hand back and forth against his facial stubble "My second night working at Mackey's, one of the bartenders asked me to grab some extra chairs in here for a party we had coming in that night. Well, just as I was about to take the last chair out I heard someone say my name. Not even like a faint sound or whisper but a very distinct voice.

"Was it a male or female voice?" Shelly asked, leaning down farther to snap another picture of the dirt and broken floor boards surrounding the dry hole.

"Well that's just the thing." he continued "I would say it was male but it was deeper then any mans voice I've ever heard. Almost like a growl. Raspy I think is the word."

Just as I opened my mouth to ask another question, there was a loud slam behind us and the light above our heads flared before burning itself out. I would have yelped in unison with Mandy and Shelly had a cold burst of wind not rendered me momentarily speechless. The only light in the large storage area was my flashlight and the failing afternoon sunlight peeking around the entry door.

"Sorry." Matt laughed "happens a lot down here. Electrical wiring in these old buildings ya know?"

"Yeah. Electrical wiring" Shelly put a hand to her chest to steady her heartbeat "I think we got what we need for now right Jess?"

I didn't respond. My attention was drawn to the back of the room now. Out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw something move. Something big.

"Jess?" Mandy asked again, lowering her camera "Are we good?"

"Y..Yes. We'll do some more filming tomorrow. I..um..I think we got it for now." I stuttered.

I looked back over my shoulder and watched Matt begin to usher them towards the door. I turned back to the cluttered dark corner of the room and removed my phone from my back pocket, turned on the camera and snapped a few pictures

"Jess come on. I wanna take more pictures of the building" Shelly called from the door.

Just as I turned to follow, a new smell past my nose. It wasn't the musty, moldy smell that greeted us when we first walked in, but worse. This was the smell of rot and decay. It smelled like meat that had gone bad and only grew stronger as I walked towards the door. I held up the back of my hand to my face, hoping that I would get some remnants of my perfume to try to dissolve the odor. Just as I neared the exit, I felt another cold blast of air. This time, however, it was so strong the old wooden door slammed shut in front of me, blocking me from leaving. Mandy's shocked face was the last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me whole. My small flashlight blinked out and I could hear the girls and Matt on the other side wrestling with the door.

"Just pull it" I yelled to them.

"We're trying! It's stuck!" Shell shot back.

I suddenly became very aware of the icy chill running up and down my body. It felt almost like breath moving in and out across my skin. The smell was so bad now my stomach lurched and I thought I might be sick.

"Come on guys! I want out of here!"

"Hold on Jess! We got back up!" Mandy called back to me.

I now heard Bob's voice along with a few others I couldn't place. I thought I saw something move next to me as the chill in the air seemed to dip lower. It moved up the side of my neck till it caressed my earlobe. My eyes grew wide as a gravelly voice spoke directly into my ear.

"_No ones coming. No one cares. Mine now."_

I tried to yell for them to help me but found myself frozen to the spot. My mouth opened and closed a few times in an attempt to make any kind of noise but nothing came out. The cross necklace I always wore felt as if it shifted slightly like someone was trying to pull on it. I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid to open them and see something I didn't want to. In my head I tried to remember the words to the "Our Father," but even my thoughts were jumbled up.

"Move away from the door!" A man's voice called from the other side.

There was a snap next to me. Almost like the sound of a match striking. It seemed to rise up from the ground till it to inched closer to my ear. It was hissing now. Slow and soft and gathering momentum the closer it got. Just as I was about to release one of the most terrifying screams the last of my energy would allow, the door slammed open and off it's hinges. I felt my strength gather and my feet nearly catapulted me out into the open air. Out into the open and straight into a brick wall of a chest. I fell back onto my butt and tried to catch my breath. My eyes were still as big as saucers and my whole body shook uncontrollably. I looked up at a man clad all in black. His face shadowed by the glare of the sun.

"Holy shit. Are you okay?"

**XXXXX**

**I know this story lacked the GAC, but there is going to be PLENTY of Zak and the boys in the next chapter. Please review! **


	3. Walking After Midnight

_I go out walking after midnight out in the moonlight_

_Just like we used to do_

_I'm always walking after midnight _

_Searching for you_

_I walk for miles along the highway_

_Well that's just my way of saying "I love you"_

_I'm always walking after midnight_

_Searching for you_

_I stop to see a weeping willow_

_Cryin on his pillow_

_Maybe he's crying for me_

_And as the skies turn gloomy_

_The night winds whisper to me_

_I'm lonesome as I can be_

_I go out walking after midnight_

_Out in the starlight_

_Just hopin' you may be_

_Somewhere out walking after midnight _

_Searching for me_

…_..Patsy Cline (Walking After Midnight)_

_**Chapter 3**_

Before I knew it, both Shelly and Mandy were at my side and in front of me a large hand reached down asking me for my own. I took it graciously if only to make contact with something I could see in a gesture that was welcoming. In one quick movement I was up on my feet and now looking up at the face of the man that had beaten the door down to free me from the darkness of the storage house. He was very tall, his spiked hair only adding to his height. Despite his sunglasses I could see his eyes were wide behind the dark lenses and his mouth was slightly agape. My eyes wondered lower and I hoped he hadn't notice my mouth mimicking his own when I took stock of his incredibly broad shoulders that blended down into even larger biceps.

"Jess?"

My head snapped to the left and I saw Shelly looking at me with half concern and half amusement. It was then I noticed that I was still holding the hand of the man in front of me. Heat rose up in my cheeks as I pulled my hand back and ran it through my hair.

"Sorry. Guess my imagination got the better of me. Thanks for getting the door open.."

I paused in the hopes he would fill in his name but he was to busy trying to read my face.

"Holy shit man that was crazy." A bald guy with a long goatee peaked out from behind a camera aimed directly at me "What just happened?"

"Aaron! Come on man. Put the camera down." Nick, the man I had met earlier, held a hand up to the lens to block filming.

"You were supposed to be watchin' these girls Matt. What happened?" Bobby Mackey stepped out from behind the tall man in black and surveyed the destruction to the door.

"It was my fault." I spoke up "I was following them out and got distracted by something. Stupid really. I'll pay for a new door."

"What were you distracted by?" The taller man asked.

Without the distraction of what just happened, my memory finally caught up with me and I realized my savior was the same man that I had been trying to avoid since we got to Wilder. Zak Bagans.

"Thought it was a shadow but I was wrong." I responded tightly.

He looked at me skeptically and I could tell he knew I was lying.

"Zak" He extended a hand out for mine.

"From Ghost Adventures. I know. I'm Jess Blades"

"Yeah. I've seen your little show on the internet. You girls do some good work. Really interesting stuff."

I frowned, unable to decide what sounded more patronizing. _"Little show" _or _"Girls"_

"I'm Mandy!" She practically pushed me out of the way to take his large hand in both of hers. She pointed over to Shelly. "Shelly and I watch your show every Friday. Huge fans."

I rolled my eyes. I was surprised she didn't just hump his leg and get it over with. Even Shelly, who was usually the most flirtatious, waved and blushed with a big goofy grin on her face.

"Well thanks. Appreciate it." He smiled and turned back to me "And you? Ever watch the show?"

"I work Friday nights" I shrugged.

My tone was something to be desired as I heard Aaron whisper the words "Wow" when I turned my attention back towards Mackey and pulled my wallet out.

"Seriously. I'd like to pay for the damage."

Mr. Mackey pushed my hands away "I won't hear of it. Hell, if I had people giving me money every time something went wrong around here I could retire."

I wasn't about to argue. A busted door wasn't exactly in my already withering budget. I turned back to the girls to find them engaged in conversation with Zak, Aaron, and Nick. They flirted and giggled like a couple of school girls and they all seemed to relish in it. All of them except Zak who would give the occasional laugh but seemed to keep his eyes on me. It was then I noticed what Mandy had been talking about. Despite my less then friendly attitude and hesitation to "make nice" I couldn't deny he was a good looking man. He held himself with an air of confidence that was evident in the way he moved. Strong and almost graceful in it's fluidity. Even the way his arms came up in front of his chest while he his fingers played with a ring on the other hand, was even mesmerizing. Whether the dark clothing was a preference or gimmick, it seemed to add to his appeal. _The Devil in a Sunday suit_ is what my grandmother would have called that. Had I still been the reckless naïve girl I was in my early twenties, I would have batted my eyelashes, adjusted my tank top so the top of my breasts peaked out and playfully request to touch his muscles just to give him the ego boost most men thrived on. I laughed in spite of myself. Who am I kidding? I was never that girl.

I found my body stiffen when Zak turned and began to stalk towards me. He had a look of genuine concern on his face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, stopping in front of me.

I sucked in a breath and pursed my lips together. The look on his face prompted me to want to apologize for my rudeness but just as I opened my mouth, Mandy came over and grabbed my arm.

"So we were JUST saying that since you boys aren't doing your investigation till tomorrow and we're not doing ours till the night after, we should grab some drinks or something later. Nick's already told us a little bit about your experiences at Mackey's, but it would sure be nice to pick your brain too."

Mandy looked up at him with big googley eyes and clapped her hands together in prayer form.

Zak looked at her out of the corner of his eye then back at me. I shifted my weight from one leg to the other uncomfortably when I realized they were both looking at me like my approval was the one they were waiting on.

"We'll see"

Mandy dropped her shoulders and stuck her lip out into a pout. I was beginning to grow increasingly irritated but I couldn't put my finger on one particular thing. It was a feeling in my chest that originated from out of nowhere and seemed to claw at my nerves. I needed to get back to the hotel and decompress. I turned back to Bobby and grabbed his hand in mine.

"Thanks so much for your time today Bobby. We'll be back tomorrow for some more interviews. Sorry again about the door."

"Well I can say it has been interesting." he shook my hand and kissed the knuckles in a very old school southern way "If you girls need anything just call the office and talk to Rebecca if I'm not around."

I nodded and waved for Shelly and Mandy to follow me to the van. They said their goodbyes but not before making plans with Aaron and Nick about meeting up later on that night. Zak looked about as uninterested as I was as he rocked back and forth impatiently.

"Aaron this is a lockdown not Match dot com!" The timber of his voice changed from it's once pleasant tone.

I began walking backwards towards the van. "It was nice to meet you guys." I yelled, as the distance between us increased.

"Yeah." Aarons called back "Maybe we'll see you guys tonight."

The thought made large smiles stretch across Mandy and Shelly's faces. I noticed Zak smack Aaron in his arm and point into the dark building I had just been broken out of. The empty doorway radiated darkness the way the sun gave off light. It made me shudder to think about what had just happened behind the closed door. For the first time ever in an investigation, I was beginning to wonder if we were in over our heads.

**XXXXXXX**

"You're going!"

"No, I'm not!"

"YES, you are."

"NO. I am not." I sat back Indian style on the bed and put a pillow in my lap while I watched Shelly fix her make up in the bathroom mirror of my hotel room "SOMEONE has to be the responsible one and go over all the photos and video we got today. Thought that job was up to you and Mandy."

"AND we will." I heard Shelly sigh and slam her compact down on the marble counter. She walked back into my room and sat down at the end of the bed facing me. "We have interviews in the morning and all tomorrow night to review everything. A couple hours of drinks and friendly conversation isn't gonna kill anyone."

I grunted and looked back down at the notebook pages in front of me. I could still feel Shelly's eyes on me and when I looked back up she was still staring at me.

"You guys go. I'm not stopping you." I said defensively "I'm gonna pass though. I wanna look at the photos we took and read up on the lingering effects of satanic rituals."

Shell snapped her fingers "Damn. I usually save that kind of excitement for the weekend."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud right along with her. Her expression changed as she ran a hand along the old paperback book sitting next to me. It was something that I had picked up back when we visited Salem. A book about cults. Old and modern.

"What happened in there when the door shut?" She asked looking back up at me.

I began playing with a section of hair that had fallen over my shoulder. A nervous habit I reminded myself I would have to remedy someday. I wanted to tell her about the smell. About the noises and hissing. The sick feeling in my stomach that gave way to unexplained anger. However, I still wasn't sure what had happened myself and I didn't want to put any ideas in her head that would effect the investigation. There was a knock at the door and Shell didn't hesitate to jump from the bed, our previous conversation being thrown on the back burner. She opened the door and Mandy burst into the room, striking a bunch of seductive poses while "oooing" and "Ahhing." She was wearing a pair of distressed jeans that was more exposed skin then jean, a flowing dark floral tank with what I assumed was a push up bra since I had never seen her chest look more perky, and a pair of stiletto heels. I wondered how she would be able to carry the neon sign that blinked "Come Fuck Me." Mandy paused and her eyebrows knitted together when she noticed me sitting on the bed in my pajama pants.

"What the hell?" She looked back over at Shell "Did I miss something? Are we going out or having a PJ party cause I didn't get dressed up for nothing."

"She's not going." Shelly waved her hand in my direction and grabbed her purse.

"Awww! Come on Jess" She started to plead.

Shelly came up behind her and slapped her hand over her mouth, giving me a little wink.

"Don't bother. I've already tried." She gathered up all her things and began to push Mandy towards the door. "I have to stop and drop my things back in my room then we can get out of here. We're meeting up with the guys at the bar across the street. Text us if you need anything."

"Yeah. Like a life!" Mandy called back over her shoulder.

I scoffed and shook my head as the door shut behind them. My sigh echoed through the now empty room. Finally, peace and quiet. I loved them both, but I also liked my "me" time as well. Especially now. I was dying to look through the pictures that Shell had taken of the well. Grabbing my Ipod, I hit shuffle and leaned back against the headboard with the camera. As the music played I flipped through pictures and began marking in my notes all the ones of interest. Orbs, mists, great shots of the girls and Bobby Mackey. I quickly came up on the ones from the storage area that we had yet to review. The photos themselves seemed to give off their own dark energy was very unsettling. There was an increasingly feeling of uneasiness as my thumb tapped on the scroll button. Photo 152. I stopped at a picture of myself holding up the flashlight when the bulb had blown out with my back to the camera. Off in the far corner was a very predominant charcoal colored mist that bled through the darkness around it. I squinted and brought the camera closer to my face. There was something different about this mist. It seemed to flow in a pattern with rougher angles and rounder edges. I observed it further, tilting the camera and hitting the button to zoom in further on just that spot. Was it my imagination or was a seeing a face? Had Shelly caught an apparition? Was it the same one that closed the door on me? There was a sudden dip in temperature in the room and goosebumps started to appear on my arms. It was then I realized just how alone I was. The last song on my Ipod ended and I new one began "Walking After Midnight" by Patsy Cline oozed through the tiny speaker setting a strange soundtrack to an already eerie vibe in the room. I put a hand on my stomach as the strange pains I was feeling earlier seemed to steadily rise back up again. I looked across the room and noticed my breath had become visible. Something wasn't right.

"Hello?" I whispered.

An icy chill drifted across my forearm and ran farther up my shoulder. Reaching over to the nightstand, I turned the music off and waited for a response. It felt like someone was watching me. Waiting for me to make any sudden movement so it could pounce. _Mine Now._ The voice from earlier repeated in my head and my whole body shuddered. I didn't want to stay here anymore. Not alone. I looked at the time on the alarm clock. 11:53. I wondered if the bar downstairs was still open. As quickly as I could, I gathered up my notes and book, tossed my hair up and sprinted for the door. There was a certain intense feeling that ran through me as the door swung open to the empty hallway. Like watching a horror movie where you held your breath in the hopes the victim would make it to safety. But this wasn't a movie and I felt like the victim. The door closed behind me and I stood staring with my back to the wall opposite of it. I felt a little upset with myself. If I was going to do this investigation with the girls in two nights I would have to get it together. I had nerves of steal but I was scaring myself into a unacceptable state of panic. I needed something to calm myself and began to wish I had gone out with everyone.

**XXXXXXX**

As I exited the elevator and peaked around the corner, I noticed no one was standing at the front desk but the lights inside the small bar were still on. I looked down at my attire and frowned. I was wearing black sweatpants that were just a tad big on me with dark slipper boots and the same red tank top I was wearing earlier. Thank god the place was empty.

"Are you open?" I called into the empty bar.

The bartender I saw earlier turned the corner with a surprised look on his face.

"Yeah. Was just about to close up but I got a lot of cleaning and stuff to do still." He smiled.

"Are you sure? I don't want to keep you here."

"Course not." He threw a coaster down in front of one of the bar stools "What can I get ya darlin?"

I threw my things on top of the bar and pulled myself onto a stool, checking the bottles behind the bartender "Tell ya what, How about just a bottle of Lite."

He nodded and reached down into the cooler in front of him bringing a bottle back up. He cracked it open and slid it over to me. "On the house" he winked.

"Thanks" I smiled.

I took a long drink and leaned back into the chair. I needed that. My hands shook as I rolled the bottle around in circles. I glanced down at the notebook sitting off to the side with my book on top of it. I was still a little too shaken to look over anything and needed a break. I grabbed my cell phone and text Mandy.

[_How are things going? Did Zak propose yet?]_

I smiled and put the phone back down to take another sip just as my phone chimed back at me with Mandy's name.

[_Ha ha very funny. Nick is married =( so he only stayed an hour and went back to the hotel. It's just Aaron me and Shell]_

I laughed at the image of Aaron with the same goofy smile he had on his face I had seen earlier while Mandy and Shelly hung all over him. It occurred to me she never said anything about Zak being there. I glanced up when I saw someone walk into the doorway of the bar and knock on the frame. I wondered if he was psychic as well as a paranormal expert because standing across the room stood Zak Bagans. He to was in black sweat pants along with a black slightly faded t-shirt. He wore a black and red backwards hat that was probably thrown on in an effort to cover disheveled hair. I was convinced it didn't matter what this guy was wearing, he always looked good. He looked surprised for a moment before a small smile played on his lips as he closed the distance between us and pulled the bar stool out next to me.

"Funny meeting you here" he smiled "I just stopped at your room. When I didn't get an answer I figured you went out with everyone."

"You stopped at my room" I furrowed my brows "How did you know which one I was in."

"A spirit told me" He drummed his fingers on the bar and laughed "Actually I texted Aaron and he got it from your friend Mandy"

_Thanks Mandy_ I said to myself. The bartenders bald head peered from around the corner, he had a rather annoyed look on his face till he saw Zak sitting there.

"Zak. What's going on my man?" He reached over and punched his knuckles to his.

"What's going on Jordan. How ya been man?"

"Can't complain. Didn't think I'd be seeing you back here again." he chuckled "Ya want the usual?"

"Ya sounds good. I'm not gonna be able to sleep anytime soon anyway' he reached over and lifted up my beer bottle "And another one for the young lady here."

"You got it." Jordan grabbed another bottle of Lite and turned to get a pint glass to fill with a draft beer I had never heard of. He threw some money down and waved it towards Jordan.

"Thanks man, all yours"

Jordan took the cash and smiled widely. He looked between the two of us and gave a partial nod before disappearing back around the corner.

"So.." I shrugged "Was there a reason you came to my room?"

"Yeah, actually" He sipped at his beer and reached into the pocket of his sweat pants pulling out a silver chain. "I found this just outside the door in the back of Mackey's. Thought it might be yours."

It was my cross necklace. I touched the spot on my chest where the pendant usually fell and found it empty. I hadn't even realized it. The last time I remember feeling it was when I was waiting for them to get the door open and I thought I felt it being pulled away from my skin. That was when I heard the voice again in my head. Zak placed it into my open palm and I sat staring at the cross.

"You okay?"

My eyes snapped back up at his I gave a wispy laugh. "Yeah. Yeah thanks. I must have gotten it caught on something and didn't know."

Zak looked at me rather suspiciously and nodded. His eyes wondered over to the book sitting on top of my stack of papers. His fingers traced the lifted print on the cover.

"A little bedtime reading?"

I pulled the book away and grinned "You can say that. Just wanted to make sure I'm prepared when we do our investigation."

The smile slid from Zak's face and he turned away, resting his arms on top of the bar "Trust me. Nothing prepares you for being in that place."

I studied his face. His eyes were darker and the corners of his mouth twisted downward. He was either avoiding elaborating on the subject or silently refusing to all together.

"If you don't like the place then why are you going back to it? I mean, it seems each time you've gone something bad happens so why go back for more?"

His eyebrows knitted together and he gave a rather cocky smile "I thought you said you WORK Fridays and didn't watch the show?"

I blushed and faced forward on my bar stool. I thought of something to say while my fingers began peeling at the bottles label. Zak laughed and bobbed his head up and down.

"Well, unfortunately we don't have complete creative control over everything. Just because it's our show and I'm one of the producers, most of the time it's the say of the Travel Channel. I doubt they'd pull the plug on us if we said no but.."

"So..you're doing this for ratings?" I asked, grabbing my other beer.

"No" he sat back and looked at me offensively "I would never risk the safety of my two best friends and myself for ratings. Which is what you should be asking yourself right now."

"Pardon?" I raised an eyebrow.

Zak raised his arms up in mock surrender, obviously sensing my annoyance "I'm not trying to sound like an asshole. I'm trying to warn you about something that I wished someone had warned me about before I even set eyes on Bobby Mackey's. I've been to a lot of places and felt a lot of negative energy. Aside from what happened to me in Italy, I've never felt anything stay with me and affect me the way Mackey's did…does." He corrected "Not just me either. Aarons and Nick. Aaron blames his divorce on the place and I know Nick's wife currently isn't speaking to him because he broke a promise that he would never go back there again. That's what this place does. It very existence breeds chaos."

I had the same feeling that I had earlier when I was with Shelly. I wanted to tell Zak what had happened after that door shut and what just occurred in my hotel room. Maybe get his opinion on the photo Shell had taken. Ask him if he thought it was coincidence that he found my cross necklace on the ground when I swore I felt it being tugged on when I was alone in the dark. Instead, I opted to put my wall back up, unwilling to open myself up to someone I considered a competitor in the field. I hummed a response and he deflated in defeat of realizing he didn't make his point. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that we're going to be investigating Mackey's too. I'm sure the idea that we might discredit some of the things that your show tried to convey in both episodes is a little..unnerving."

The lines in Zak's face deepened. He was clearly offended. He scoffed and took a drink.

"You don't like me do you?"

It was more of a statement then a question. I instantly felt bad. Embarrassed really. I wasn't a bitchy person. There was just something about him that brought it out in me. Before I had a chance to catch myself, the words just seemed to keep spilling out.

"It's not you. It's your show." I looked at him out of the corner of my eye "When I started investigating I wanted to prove that there was an existence beyond the physical one. I wanted to get as much REAL evidence as I could so that no one could look at it and say that ghosts or spirits weren't real."

"And you don't think that Ghost Adventures does that?" He asked, staring down at his glass.

"I don't doubt that you guys are good at what you do. Obviously. You have your own show and millions of fans. I hope to be at that level someday, but, how much of your evidence is real and how much of it is fabrication. Simple footsteps or heavy growls that get amped up in a desperate attempt to have something to turn in for an hour long show. I mean hey, if you can get people to believe you hear moans coming from a house that's hundreds of years old and is simply just settling, more power to you. I just think…."

I stopped myself when I looked over at Zak sitting and staring at me with his eyes narrowed and his mouth slack. Saying he was offended would be an understatement now. He stood up from the bar stool and shoved his cell phone and wallet back into his pocket.

"It's a shame you feel that way." He put on hand on the bar and the other on the back of the stool and leaned closer to me, his eyes holding all the anger his voice was trying to control "If you watched the show you would know better then to assume it's all for ratings. Ever since I saw the spirit of a ghost in my apartment I have made it my life's work. Life's work." he repeated. I shifted in my chair and found it almost impossible to look at him as he continued "I've lost out on life events with my family, relationships, sleep. Even when I go home I have no peace. I'm just like you. Just trying to make a dent in the paranormal field to prove there's something else. Maybe even offer people solace in the fact that their loved ones are still with them in spirit or that the bad things we do in life have consequence in the afterlife. If I can even change one persons mind it's a step in the right direction. It's called being passionate and dedicated. Maybe you'll get there someday.

I watched speechless as Zak began to walk out of the bar. He stopped and turned on his heel to lock eyes with me again.

"Ya know, for someone that claims to be so open to the paranormal, you sound just as narrow minded as the skeptics you're trying to disprove. I've made a ton of sacrifices in my life and I didn't do it for ratings or a few floor boards settling." He turned back and continued to walk away "Good luck with your investigation. Hope you find what you're looking for."

As soon as he disappeared around the corner, I looked down at the now empty stool next to me. I squeezed my eyes shut on groaned. _I'm such an asshole._ When I looked up again, Jordan the bartender was staring me down while wiping off a bottle of vodka. I assumed he heard everything. I threw back the last of my beer and tossed a ten dollar bill on the bar.

"Thanks Jordan."

"Mhmmm" was his only response.

Great. Now I was being judged by just about everyone in this place. I grabbed my things and jumped off the bar stool, walking quickly out of the room. I thought maybe if I caught up with Zak I could apologize. I just couldn't think of what to say that would make it okay without having a time machine. I rounded the hallway to the elevator and caught Zak's profile just as the doors closed. I dragged my feet on the carpet and placed a hand against the wall, lowering my head. "Me and my big mouth."


	4. Black Velvet

_Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell_

_Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high_

_Mama's dancing' with a baby on her shoulder_

_The sun is setting like molasses in the sky_

_The boy could sing_

_Knew how to move, everything_

_Always wanting more _

_He'd leave you longing for_

_Black velvet and that little boys smile_

_Black velvet with that slow southern style_

_A new religion that'll bring you to your knees_

_Black velvet if you please_

…_Alannah Myles (Black Velvet)_

**Chapter 4**

"Oh my god."

I meant for the words to only be heard in my head, but somehow they had escaped and slipped passed my lips the very second his hands grazed across my stomach. They moved upwards, sliding my shirt up along with them and leaving a small trail of goosebumps in their wake. His lips mounted mine again, more forcefully then the last and I couldn't help but moan when his tongue invaded my mouth. He pulled away and continued on a path down to my neck, tracing patterns on the tight skin with a combination of his mouth and tongue.

"Zak" I whispered.

I was unclear on how we even got to this point. One moment we were having a heated debate in the bar of the hotel that caused me to want to seek him out for an apology, the next, we were in my room with our hands all over each other. I don't know who started it and at this point I really didn't care. I didn't care what the girls would think. I didn't care what Zak's team would think. I didn't care what the outcome would be if this went farther. All I cared about was what was happening in this very moment.

One of his large arms wrapped around me while the other directed his hand lower on my body, as if assessing how much I would allow. I felt his thumb dart out and run gently along the waistband of my sweat pants. The very idea of it progressing made my body automatically arch harder into his and wordlessly gave permission for him to proceed. His fingers effortlessly made quick work of the clasp of my bra after I reached up and helped pull his shirt over his head. We moved back onto the bed, Zak's warm body covering mine.

"I wanted you since I saw you at Mackey's" Zak whispered before nipping at my neck.

My breath caught when I felt his hand finally pass my waist and run down my inner thigh, so close to the sensitive part of my body that my teeth chattered in anticipation. The feelings of pleasure suddenly began to dissipate as Zak's soft caress turned a little rougher. His fingertips, once tender and radiating with desire, now reared up and combined together with his fingernails. I squeezed my eyes shut and furrowed my brows while trying to shift underneath his weight.

"Zak. Wait." I put my hands on his shoulders and tried to push him away but found him to be heavier then I anticipated. My request fell on deaf ears as his lips continued exploring my neck and upper chest. His fingernails felt like claws while they moved from my thigh and up to my stomach. It was then I noticed it. The smell from Mackey's that nearly made me vomit. It was a foul putrid odor that was overwhelming and seemed to encase the entire room.

"Zak! Stop!" I was louder now and my body followed suit by pushing against him with all my strength. Still, his body remained heavy on top of mine. I tried to sit up and was surprised not only when Zak pushed me back down but when my spine slammed down onto gravel and not the mattress I was previously lying on. My eyes grew wide when they finally opened and didn't see the cheesy hotel room paintings over Zak's shoulder but the crumbling ruins that was the storage house of Bobby Mackey's Music World.

"How did we get here?" I said aloud.

Zak didn't answer again. He was unfazed by everything other then my body underneath him. He was licking and kissing his way across my stomach and I felt able enough to sit up without his weight on my upper body. Just as I was upright, I heard Zak growl and lung forward, both palms flat on my chest. His mouth came down to my ear and I could hear another growl rumble in his throat.

"I've wanted you since I first saw you" he repeated "Alone and shaking in the dark.

"What?"

I pulled back and looked at him. Once midnight blue eyes had turned into dark black orbs distorting even the whites around then. His mouth, once warm and inviting was now twisted and stretched out across his face unnaturally. He stared at me blankly, wanting me to take in full stock of what was now hovering over me. His smile grew wider, the corners of his mouth rising up to his ears. I sucked in a breath as his tongue snaked out and flicked across my earlobe.

"_Mine now_."

I screamed. I screamed so loud I thought my vocal chords would collapse. Despite the volume, I could hear laughter. It sounded inhuman and evil. My hands desperately pushed and punched at the form above me and I yelled even louder for someone, anyone, to help me.

"JESS! JESS WAKE UP!"

My world was spinning. I could still see the hazy image of the thing above me but I could hear Shelly's voice calling my name as desperately as I was begging for release. The weight on my body subsided and I bolted upright, covered in sweat and gasping for air. Zak was gone and I now stared back at Shelly who was holding me by my wrists. Her eyes were wide in shock as mine darted back and forth long enough for me to realize I was back in my hotel room.

"It was a dream. Just a dream." I choked out through gasps.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Pinkish gold light began to peek through the heavy curtains of my hotel room. It was dawn I would assume. After I calmed down, I finally decided to tell Shelly and Mandy about what had happened at Mackey's.

"Why didn't you tell us something actually SPOKE to you?! Jesus Christ Jess! We're all in this together remember?!"

I sat up in bed staring vaguely at the wall behind Shelly as she paced the room, her arms moving wildly about while lecturing me on honesty. How I should have been honest with them about what happened at Mackey's earlier. I lost her after that. I was still trying to figure out what had happened only moments ago. I ran my fingertips over my lips. The lips that not long ago, I thought Zak had been attached to. It had all felt so real. I remember the argument in the bar. I remember going to find Zak so I could apologize. But after I had missed him on the elevator, I thought it best to let him cool off and just make amends later since we would both be in the general vicinity of each other the next few days. I went back to my room instead. After that everything was a blur. Mandy was sitting in the chair by the window nodding at Shelly's every word as I was reprimanded.

"You should've told us." She chimed in "You didn't hear and see what we did when we got into the room. You were screaming and clawing at the air like someone was attacking you. It was really scary. I'm surprised someone didn't call the cops."

I grabbed a pillow and pressed it to my face while slumping forward in my bed. If I really had been loud enough to wake them up then I must have woken up the only other people on the floor. Zak and his crew must think I'm a absolute psycho. Although I'm sure Zak's opinion of me wasn't all that positive to begin with.

"Maybe.." Shell paused and bit her lower lip "Maybe it's a warning that we shouldn't do this. Maybe we're not ready for this kinda dangerous stuff yet."

"No" I shot back right away.

"We hate to back out of this too Jess. We're just as invested in it as you are." Mandy said gently "But talking to Aaron and Nick last night, I dunno..he told us about all the bad stuff that happened when they went there and how Zak had to get an exorcism for Christ sake."

"Oh that's what Nick and Aaron told you huh?" I raised an eyebrow "It's funny you said that because Zak and I uh..talked last night downstairs in the bar."

"You did?" Mandy sat up and looked over at me in surprise "What did you talk about?"

"Bobby Mackey's" I scoffed "Don't you think it's funny that Aaron and Nick went out with you to drink and talk about the place and Aaron got my room number from you so he could give it to Zak when he found out that I didn't go out with you guys?" Mandy and Shelly shared a look as I continued "I think they wanted to scare us. I bet they wanted to put it in our heads that we couldn't handle Mackey's."

"Why would they do that?" Shelly asked

I shrugged "Maybe they're worried about us disproving anything that allegedly happens there. I dunno."

"Still doesn't explain what just happened here and what happened yesterday afternoon at Mackey's Jess." Shelly sighed.

Both the girls stared at me, awaiting an explanation. Truth was, I didn't know if that really was the case or not with the GAC, but, I wasn't going to give up this chance. I didn't want to lie to them but I thought the less they knew the better. It was happening to me and not them.

"I don't doubt there is something evil at Mackey's" I finally said "But I don't think it's anything we haven't dealt with before. We've come face to face with demonic things and overcame it. This isn't going to be any different. I'm fine."

Shelly walked over and put a hand on my shoulder while her other held up a finger towards my face in a very 'motherly' fashion "We'll give it a try. If anything and I mean ANYTHING goes wrong, I'll drag you out of that place by your hair myself. You got it?"

I nodded and fake saluted her the same way she and Mandy had done to me the day before.

"Now" She said straightening up "Is there anything else you need to tell us about other then what happened at Mackey's and your bad dream?"

I thought for a moment, looking between Mandy and Shelly. _Oh yeah the thing in the storage room also ripped my cross necklace off AND I'm pretty sure there is a mist with a demons face in it on our camera and my Ipod was going on and off when the temp in my room dropped. OH, and let me not forget to mention that I was in the process of nearly fucking Zak Bagans before he turned into Linda Blair and nearly clawed my skin off._ I saw images of them packing up their rooms in five seconds and bolting for the van to get the hell out of this place if I admitted to any of that.

"Nope. Not that I can think of" I squeaked while twirling a strand of hair absently between my fingers.

Mandy's eyes narrowed in my direction. She knew me to well for my omissions to not be noticeably written on my face.

"Alright" Mandy stood and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn "I have a few more hours to sleep off this hangover before we have to be up. Think it's safe for us to go to our rooms now or do you want me to stay in here with you?"

"Nah. You guys go get some sleep and we'll talk more about it over breakfast." I started to slide back down into the bed when something occurred to me "Wait a minute. How did you guys get into my room without a key?"

"Oh" Mandy stopped to peak around the door "Don't think you closed it all the way cause just as Shell and I were about to run down to the front desk, it just kinda popped open."

"That's weird."

Mandy shrugged "Get some more sleep chick. Gotta tell ya all about what happened at the bar last night too." She giggled.

The door shut behind her and I was alone again, finally able to take the fake smile off my face. I was a bad friend and an even worse investigator. I didn't tell them the truth so they didn't have a chance to make a decision if they did or didn't want to investigate Mackey's. I tried to justify it in my head by reminding myself these things were happening to me and not to them but it wasn't helping. Two more days. Just get through the next two days I'll confess everything to them on the way back to Chicago. I went to roll over onto my side and immediately winced in pain. I felt a burning on my inner thigh that ran like a trail of fire up to my stomach. Sliding from bed, I walked over to the mirror outside the bathroom and pulled my sweatpants down. My mouth dropped. Three scratches starting just above my knee, swirled and laced together in red and pink swollen trails up to my lower abdomen. They looked so fresh that blood was still rising to the surface in spots. It was in the exact area I remember from my dream. The places where Zak's touch turned pleasurable to painful.

"What the hell is happening to me?"

**XXXXXXX**

I didn't go back to sleep that morning. Instead, I sat in bed and read up on demonic attacks and intelligent hauntings. I couldn't stay focused for long. My hand kept reaching down to touch the scratches on my thigh and stomach and my memory constantly returned back to my dream. I tossed the book down at the end of the bed and turned on my Ipod. A hot shower suddenly took precedence over my overactive thoughts as I grabbed some clothes from my suitcase and headed to the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and slowly moved under the hot water, hissing through my teeth when it hit my stomach. Aside from the wounds, my next curiosity was why I had dreamt about Zak Bagan. Why had he been the one my subconscious chose to make as the "guest star" in my sex dream.

"_Uh…hello! Why not!" _It answered back.

I chuckled out loud to myself while shampooing my hair. Maybe the argument between Zak and I would work out to my benefit. Maybe he would go out of his way to avoid me and I wouldn't have to look at his body and think how well it had molded to mine in my dream. I wouldn't have to look down at his hands and remember how they almost effortlessly made my entire body ignite like a match. I wouldn't have to break my focus from his mouth. The mouth that practically assaulted my own and only retreated when realizing it could do more damage by targeting more sensitive places on my body. I was in such deep thought I hadn't realized at some point my hand was inching its way down my slick stomach on a path towards the ache between my legs. The spot that was longing to be satisfied by what torturous intentions Zak had promised.

_But that wasn't Zak. _

My phone buzzed loudly in the other room, bringing me back to attention and making me jump like a teenager that had just been caught in the act. I turned the water off and shook my head in spite of myself. I quickly toweled off and walked out to get my cell phone from the night stand. Text from Mandy.

[_Shell and I are STARVING! Want to go to breakfast at the place next door?]_

I licked my lips at the thought of bacon and eggs and more importantly coffee.

[_Me-Just need to get dressed and I will meet you there]_

I quickly gave my long hair a rough dry and patted a little concealer under my eyes to try to hide the puffy half moon circles from lack of sleep. Grabbing the camera and key card off the dresser I did a once over of my room before heading out.

**XXXXXXX**

The Kentucky heat was like a furnace blast to the face the minute the doors to the hotel opened. Despite my two beers last night, I felt like I had a hangover. I paranormal hangover. I put on my sunglasses and headed to the middle of the parking lot looking between the two places on either side of it. There was a small red building that looked like a house to the right with a small swinging wooden sign that read "Pearl's Diner"

"Doubt that's a coincidence" I mumbled under my breath.

I walked up to the swinging patio door and opened it, a small bell chiming above it to announce my entrance in a very charming old fashion way. There was an older waitress in the process of pouring coffee at a table who looked up and smiled at me.

"Ya must be with the table in the back." She said in a thick southern accent.

"Yeah my girls are waiting on the straggler." I shrugged.

She nodded and pointed a chubby finger to the partition in the middle of the restaurant.

"We don't get to many celebrities out here so I sat ya'll away from everyone so ya'll could have some privacy."

"Celebrities?" I giggled raising an eyebrow "I don't.."

Before I could ask questions, I heard Mandy's laugh explode through the small restaurant followed by a mixture of Shelly's and deeper male laughter.

_Oh god. They better not have._

I followed the sound and was shocked at what I saw when I rounded the corner. Shelly and Mandy were there as they said they would be, but, what they forgot to mention was that Aaron, Nick and Zak would be joining us. Everyone stopped what they were doing and all eyes were on me standing there with my mouth slightly agape. The minute Zak's eyes met mine the smile immediately left his face and he went back to stabbing the hash browns on his plate. Nick and Aaron both waved and smiled with mouthfuls of food.

"Jess!" Shelly almost choked on her coffee before setting the cup down "Mandy and I ran into the guys just as they were about to come over here for breakfast too so we just thought we could all eat together."

I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes at her. I was to tired for this shit. To make matters worse my seat was at the end of the table with Zak at the other end. Now I would have to spend breakfast with my eyes on my scrambled eggs to avoid having to look at him. I pulled my chair out and sat down, giving my best 'I'm super happy to be here' smile.

"Mandy and Shell were just telling us you had something happen to you before we got you outta the storage house at Mackey's." Aaron said, taking a bite of his food.

My eyes grew wide at Mandy who in turn sunk down in her chair.

"I'm not sure what happened the other day" I waited as the waitress came over and poured me a cup of coffee "I don't know if it was all in my head or if what I saw was an apparition."

"Maybe it was the house settling." Zak said flatly, twirling his fork in his hand "Maybe it was a gas leak causing you to hallucinate."

Everyone at the table gave a confused chuckle.

"Whatcha talking about bro?" Nick questioned "You know that's mild stuff compared to what usually goes on in that place."

Zak leaned back in his chair but his eyes never left mine. He was silently daring me to make even the smallest contradiction so he could call me out in front of everyone. Apparently, I missed my cue because he decided to continue anyway.

"Well Aaron" He said in a deep patronizing voice "Jess here doesn't share the same feelings as her friends about our show." The admission made the whole table turn and look at me. I noticed Mandy's eyebrows knit together as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Well I'm not big headed enough to believe EVERYONE is gonna love the show. I mean, it's weird for a fellow investigator like yourself to not be a fan but.." Aaron said sarcastically, trying to break the tension.

"It's not the show itself. She thinks are show is.." Zak cocked his head to the side "Fabricated I think is the word she used."

Everyone was awkwardly silent now. I could feel the vibe in the room shift like I felt whenever I walked into a place that had negative energy. However, this time I think I would take the hint and do what that energy was telling me to do. I grabbed a couple bucks out of my pocket and threw it on the table.

"You guys enjoy your breakfast." I pushed out my chair and stood up, trying hard not to let my emotions get the better of me "I'll meet you back at the hotel girls."

Mandy started to stand up "Jess, come on stay. You don't' have to go back to the hotel. Eat with us."

I heard Nick, Aaron and Shelly protest too, but I was out the door before I could be persuaded otherwise.

**XXXXXX**

The glare of the sun caused me to squint my eyes, making the tears slip past my lower lashes. I had made a clean getaway out of the diner before my emotions got the better of me.

"Jess. Wait up!"

I was surprised to hear Zak's voice behind me but I did nothing to show I even acknowledged his calls. Instead, I increased my pace and hoped that he didn't care enough to follow after me. I underestimated him.

"Hey, slow down. I just want to talk" his hand gently gripped the upper part of my arm and spun me around.

He seemed taken aback when he noticed me wiping away the excess moisture under my eyes.

"Look, I'm not a bitch really. I'm just super stressed out and this is supposed to be our big break and it's already off to a…"

His lips were turning up at the corners and I realized he was holding back a smile.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I'm sorry sweetheart it's just…" He folded his arms across his chest and tried to stifle his laugh but within seconds he roared with laughter. I'm not sure why, maybe the ridiculousness of it all or maybe I needed to vent off my stress as well but couldn't contain myself either and mixed in my own chuckle. When the moment passed, Zak finally composed himself enough to look down at me.

"Any chance we can just start over?" He extended his hand "Truce?"

I looked at his hand and sighed in defeat "Truce."

"Well as long as we're on the same page. I just want you to know I'm not trying to get in your way at all, but, the girls were saying that something happened to you in the storage room."

I bit my bottom lip and looked away, deciding to instead focus on a car driving into the parking lot.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but sometimes it helps." He stated, becoming well aware of my hesitation "You'd be doing us a favor too. If I know things are happening before we even start our investigation tonight, I'll know what we're in for."

His eyes were filled with curiosity and a hint of concern. He didn't lecture or yell at me like Shelly and Mandy had done earlier and I felt like if anyone would have an understanding, it would be him.

"Alright" I ran a hand through my hair and put my hands on my hips "This is what happened.."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Special thanks to everyone the added this story to their alert list and to Hellion5Angel4 for the review. Sorry the update took so long but I also have a Walking Dead Daryl/OC fic that I'm working on and I think I bit off a little more than I can handle. But there will still be updates coming. XOXOX**


	5. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

_Tough, You Think You've Got The Stuff_

_You're Telling Me And Anyone_

_You're Hard Enough_

_You Don't Have To Put Up A Fight_

_You Don't Have To Always Be Right_

_Let Me Take Some Of The Punches_

_For You Tonight. _

…_..U2 (Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own)_

_**Chapter 5**_

Under the rays of the relentless sun, I told Zak everything that had happened at Mackey's. I watched his facial expressions change in synchronicity with the highlights of what had been going on. Due to my own pride, I decided to leave out the details of the dream I had last night involving our rather compromising situation and instead kept tugging at the bottom of my tank top to keep me from doing anything that would make the scratches on my midriff show. Zak was quiet for a long moment, his head slightly bowed and index finger pushed to his chin. He let out a hum behind his lips and his eyes flicked over me.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Tired" I sighed, rubbing my hands against my eyes.

"Not wearing your cross necklace?"

I cocked my head to the side, taken off guard by the change in subject. My fingertips brushed across the bare spot on my chest.

"Oh yeah" I shrugged "Guess I just forgot to put it on."

Zak gave me the same skeptical look I was beginning to grow accustomed to. He took a step closer to me and I actually found myself holding my breath.

"Forgot to put it on or didn't want to?"

"Forgot" I defended

"I know this seems a little strange to ask" Zak hesitated and kicked the toe of his shoe against the pavement "Do you mind if I take a look at your room?"

"Um..ya…yeah…" I stammered "I guess. Don't know what you'd be looking for in there though."

"It's not a specific thing I'm looking for. It's more of a feeling."

We walked through the lobby to the elevators. The ride up was almost uncomfortably quiet. Zak and I would share random glances at one another followed by a few awkward smiles. We walked down the hall and up to the door of my room. I took a deep breath as I stuck the thin piece of plastic into the automatic lock. The door moaned open and Zak went in ahead of me. The moment I stepped foot into the room, I could already sense a change in the air. It was cold. A lot more cold than what the air conditioner had been set to. There was also an instant shift in my mood. I went from feeling open and curious to Zak's request of seeing my room, to suddenly feeling imposed upon and irritable. My upper lip twitched as I watched his eyes skim the perimeter of my room.

"Holy shit" He said, rubbing his hands on his upper arms "You always keep your room this cold? I feel like I should go grab my jacket."

"I like it cold." I said tightly.

I flinched at the strange tone of my voice. It was unfamiliar and the statement was untrue. I didn't like my room the same temperature as an igloo. I wasn't one of those people that liked my room ice cold just so I could cuddle under blankets. I was one of those people that would sleep in next to nothing during the summer just so I didn't have to feel confined under the covers. Zak walked over and looked down at the temp control on the vent in the corner of the room. I watched the lines in his face deepen in confusion as he tapped his index finger of the numbered dial. Still, he didn't say anything. I could feel something scratching once again at my nerves.

"Aside from what we talked about last night, do you know the real history of Bobby Mackey's?" Zak questioned, picking up the same book I was carrying the night before and flipping through the pages.

"Inside and out" I said.

"So you know about the satanic cults and ritualistic killing of.."

"Pearl Bryan.." I finished.

"And you know about all the stories, documented or not, about the cases of possession and oppression.

"Carl Lawson. In the late 70's early 80's. Countless investigators. Priests. I know Mackey's own family won't step foot in the place.

Zak nodded and sat down at the end of my bed, scratching an eyebrow with the tip of his thumb. The sight of Zak on my bed brought me back to last night and I put my hands behind my back and leaned against them on wall opposite of him. He looked past me and on to the silver chain laying balled up on my dresser.

"Oh. There's your cross necklace. Looks like you can put it on now."

That set off an immediate irritation in me again. Maybe I didn't want to put it on. Why was my necklace so important to him? Why did a simple piece of jewelry mean so much? Who the fuck did he think he was? Crosses some kind of weird fetish? Fuck the necklace and fuck him too!

"Jess?"

My eyes snapped up to meet his and I shook my head as if coming out of a trance. Zak got up from the bed and slowly made his way to stand in front of me. He was so close I could feel his warm breath on my cheeks, tickling my eyelashes. His finger pushed my chin up so I was looking directly into his eyes. Maybe there was a slight disappointment that the look on his face was not so much romantic as it was curious.

"What were you thinking just now?"

His voice was gentler. Forcing back the bad thoughts floating around in my head. The feel of his skin on mine was like water stubbing out a flame.

"I was thinking that I didn't want to put on my necklace." I admitted.

"Why?"

"I don't know. You asking me to put it on just…"

I couldn't explain to him what I couldn't even make myself understand. The frustration of it all making tears threaten my eyes.

"Have you been feeling that way since being at Mackey's yesterday?"

"Yes" I could hear my voice crack even though it was barely above a whisper.

"Has going back there been all you can think about?"

"Yes."

"Jess.." Zak moved in little closer to make sure he had my full attention "have you noticed any scratches on your body that you can't remember getting?"

My mouth opened and closed a few times, but no noise came out. Zak's eyes narrowed but they were filled with empathy and something else I couldn't put my finger on. His face moved a few inches closer to mine and suddenly my only focus was on the shape of his lips. I could hear our breathing increase as Zak's fingers traveled from my chin to my shoulders, then down the length of my arm and entwined themselves in mine.

"It's okay. You can tell me." He assured.

His voice was lulling me into some euphoric state I didn't want to come back from. A few inches closer and his lips would brush against mine.

"Zak I…"

"There you guys are!"

Mandy's voice snapped me back into reality. Zak had dropped my hand in surprise as Aaron and Nick rounded the corner into my room as well.

"Aww, look who kissed and made up." Aaron sung from the doorway "You owe me for breakfast bro. What's up?"

"Yeah what's up?"

Mandy folded her arms across her chest and gave me a perturbed sideways glance. Clearly there was an unspoken jealousy that was written all over her face. I took a few steps away from Zak and fumbled with the digital camera in my hands.

"We..uh..I was just showing Zak what I caught in the storage area at Mackey's last night."

Mandy mumbled something under her breath and everyone circled around as I flipped through the pictures to the one of interest.

"Holy shit" Zak grabbed the camera out of my hands and squinted closer to the window "You caught a face."

"Not a human one." I corrected.

Mandy and Shelly paled a bit and looked at one another while Aaron and Nick both let out noises of disbelief. Zak studied the picture, zooming in and zooming out the face in the mist.

"Did everything you told me start after this picture was taken?"

"I was feeling a little out of sorts when we were in the bar talking to Mackey." I admitted "But I just figured it was the heat and the traveling."

"In that place?" Nick scoffed "Doubtful"

"Well that settles it" Shelly clapped her hands together and walked to the door "We're cancelling this investigation Jess. This just got to risky."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Zak stepped in for me.

"It's too late now." Zak rested a hand on her shoulder "It knows you girls just like it knows us. If you leave now it will follow you."

"It's gonna follow them regardless bro" Aaron said sullenly.

"But it's going to get worse for one of you." Zak turned around and his eyes met mine.

"Me?" I nearly yelled "Why me?"

"Something's already attached itself to you. If you leave now it will only get worse. The cross, the whispering, the irritability.." Zak paused and gestured to my stomach "the scratches"

"How..How.." I stuttered.

"JESUS Jess" Mandy hissed and jumped off the bed "You got scratched? Where?"

Zak stood in front of me to block me from view.

"It's okay." Zak assured me "I saw something when we were in the elevator and the way you keep pulling at your shirt made me curious. It's something I'm all to familiar with. Tell the truth."

I could feel the beginning of fresh tears. When Zak moved out of the way I was met with stares from everyone in the room. He was right though. We were all in this together and the girls deserved to know. My fingers tugged at the hem of my tank top before I pulled the cotton fabric up just above my belly button and turned to the side.

"Oh man." Aaron whispered.

Even Zak looked a little shocked. The little bit that might have peeked out from under my shirt was probably nothing compared to what it was. And that was just what was on my torso.

"Did that happen last night?" Shelly asked, trying to keep her anger from slipping out "Is that why you were screaming in your sleep?"

"Yes" I admitted meekly.

"So you lied to us this morning when I asked if you had told us everything."

"Shell, I was confused this morning. I.."

"Ya know what? Save it Jess" Shelly waved a hand to cut me off "You lied to us. You broke the rules and now it's to late. We're stuck in this now and you didn't give us a chance to make that decision as a group. Whatever."

Shelly swung the door to my room open and stomped out. Mandy gave me one last look over her shoulder before following behind her.

"Shit" I sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed, holding my head in my hands.

"I know we'd like to stay and hear more. After this I don't want to even go to Mackey's, but we gotta go Zak" Nick reminded him "I think they need some time to talk things over too."

"Yeah. You guys go round up Billy and Jay. I'll be right there." Zak said, not taking his eyes off me.

Aaron and Nick nodded and wordlessly headed to the door, both throwing me a wave and a smile. The door closed behind them and I was alone once again with Zak.

"You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah" I breathed out "I have a lot of explaining and apologizing to do. Thankfully I'll have time on the trip back home."

I got off the bed and grabbed my suitcase in the corner of the room, intent on packing since I was sure Shelly and Mandy were probably in their rooms doing the same. I was a little taken aback when I felt Zak grab at the hand that held my suitcase.

"Don't go."

"Pardon?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

Zak gave a kind of sideways smile and scratched the side of his head.

"I mean, I don't think it's a good idea you leave here."

"Well Shelly is pretty pissed at me and she drove. I won't be surprised if she leaves and makes me take a cab all the way back home." I chuckled "And Mandy, well, she's got her own reasons for being pissed at me now I guess."

Zak gave me a quizzical look and set my suitcase back on the ground "I'm just saying I think you have two options right now. Either we take you over to Father Long in the morning for a cleansing and you never go back to that place, or, you go to Mackey's and confront it."

"The girls will never go for it." I said, shaking my head "Damned if I do damned if I don't kind of scenario"

"What if we bring you guys on our investigation tonight? We won't film you. You can hang out in the back with Billy and Jay." Zak's enthusiasm was undeniable as he moved about the room causing me to stifle a laugh.

"Might take some convincing if they haven't left already." I shrugged.

"Well I gotta go meet the guys for our interviews. Why don't you think about it and talk to Shelly and Mandy. We can discuss it more over dinner before we do our lockdown."

"I'll give it a shot but I can't promise anything. Where do you want us to meet you guys for dinner tonight?"

"Well I um.." I could see the slight blush rise up on his pale cheeks "I thought maybe you might want to just go with me to dinner."

"Oh.." I smiled, looking down at the ground.

"Ya know, to talk about investigation stuff or whatever" Zak fumbled awkwardly with the phone in his hand and I couldn't help but find it incredibly cute.

"Yeah. I'd like that" I smiled.

I could see his chest deflate with a sigh of relief as he gave me a wide smile and headed towards the door.

"Hope everything goes okay with the girls. Don't worry sweetie, we'll get everything figured out."

The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. The words sounded so much like what Tim used to say to me about trivial things, I couldn't help but feel a pain in my chest. The door to the my room clicked shut and Zak was gone. His cologne still hung in the air and I had talk myself out of following after him. I don't know what it was or for what reason, but there was a calmness in me that his presence brought on. Alone in the room now, the only thing I was feeling was a pressure on my chest. As if all the oxygen was being sucked out of the room. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, silently mouthing the words of the "Our Father." Zak was right. Whatever was going on was only getting worse. I needed to talk to the girls. REALLY talk to them and make a decision as a group. I grabbed the my cross necklace off the dresser and fastened it around my neck. Looking up into the mirror, I tried to ignore the way my skin was crawling and my stomach churned. Whatever the outcome would be, I had a feeling nothing was going to get figured out as Zak said it would. I got myself and the girls into this, I would have to get us out. Even if it came at the sake of my own safety.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Sorry so short guys! The next one will be longer. PROMISE! Thanks to everyone that added me to their alert list. Special thanks again to **_**Spazzy, Hellion5Angel4! I LOVE ME SOME REVIEWS!**


	6. Closer

_Stranded in this spooky town_

_Stoplights are swaying and the phone lines are down_

_The floor is crackling cold _

_She took me heart, I think she took my soul_

_With the moon I run far from carnage of the fiery sun_

_Driven by the strangle of vein_

_Showing no mercy I do it again_

_Open up your eye, you keep on crying baby_

_I'll bleed you dry_

_Skies that blink at me, I see a storm bubbling up from the sea_

_And it's coming closer_

_And it's coming closer_

…_..Kings Of Leon (Closer)_

**Chapter 6**

I stood outside the door to Shelly's hotel room listening to the faint voices on the other side. Though I couldn't hear what she and Mandy were saying I knew by the tone it wasn't a very positive conversation. My closed fist hovered over the door and I took a deep breath before knocking. It was like preparing myself to walk into a haunted location with evil spirits. Let's face it, whatever was going on was scaring the hell out of me, but sinister ghosts have nothing on two very pissed off women. The door cracked open and Mandy peeked around the corner and gave me a partial smile before turning around to look over her shoulder at Shelly who was in the middle of folding up clothes to put in the open suitcase on her bed. I shoved my hands into my back pockets and walked in with my head lowered to the ground like a puppy that had just been reprimanded.

"Hey" I said softly.

I was shocked at the fact it almost seemed to echo through the room despite the thick tension that hung in the air. The girls both looked at me as if to say "_Really? That's all you have to say for yourself?"_

"I noticed you no longer seem to have a problem with Zak and his crew being here." Mandy mumbled, taking a seat in the corner of the room.

"That's not even the point right now Mandy" Shelly shot back before I had a chance to answer "The point is that you lied to us. You know we have to tell each other everything when it comes to places like that and you didn't. You put us all in danger for your own selfish reasons. I mean, for fuck sake Jess I have two boys at home. What if I do take something back with me? How do you want me to explain that to them? They already have issues with the things that are in our house that aren't trying to hurt us. But hey, why should you care right?"

I winced at that. Of course I cared. Especially when it came to the protection of our loved ones. The fact that they had to question that hurt. The fact that I had lost their trust hurt even more.

"I'm sorry." The words weren't enough but it was all I could say.

Shelly remained stern but Mandy, always the positive one, remained calm.

"We just wanna know why you didn't tell us Jess. That's all"

"I just.." I thought carefully about what I would say next and sat on the end of the bed "I just thought this place would be no different than any other place that claimed to have demonic spirits in it. A lot of people claimed they had evil spirits residing in places but they were just misunderstood poltergeists."

"Misunderstood poltergeists don't attack you in your sleep, rip crucifixes off and leave scratches all over your body." Shelly retorted.

"None that we've seen at least" Mandy defended me which had me slightly surprised.

I could see Shelly's body relax a little bit. She dropped a half folded shirt back onto the bed and walked over to sit next to me.

"What did Zak say? What are our options?"

"Well he said we can go see Father Long tomorrow and have a cleansing performed in the hopes nothing follows us home or we go ahead with the investigation and confront it head on but that doesn't mean it's going to make things any worse or better."

I already knew what their choice was going to be and only hoped that we could go over the evidence we did get yesterday before we left in the morning.

"Either way there's a possibility that just because we walked in there yesterday it could follow us?" Mandy repeated.

I nodded.

"Then we stick with the plan" Shelly finally said.

Mandy and I both stared at her in disbelief. Neither of us expecting that.

"What?" She said with a confused smile "Well if we're already too deep into it then we'll do what we came here for and go see this Father Long when it's done with."

"I have the holy water and anointed oil from Father Powers back home. We'll take it with us." Mandy reached over and pulled the small bottles from her purse on Shelly's nightstand.

"Zak invited us to hang out with his crew in their command center outside of Mackey's when they do their investigation tonight. He said that way we can see where it's most active and make a decision after that."

"Really?" Mandy looked as us with a wide smile.

"Might be pretty cool" Shelly shrugged "At least we'll be able to better decide later if we think we can handle it or not. Alright. I'm in."

"I'm in too." Mandy said quickly.

I bit my lip and looked up at the younger blonde. I was thankful the girls were willing to still do this even if their trust in me wasn't exactly back to normal, but I was still not completely out of the woods. Yet.

"Zak asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with him tonight before the investigation." I admitted.

Shelly smiled widely but that quickly wavered when she looked back over at Mandy.

"Oh" was her only response as she dragged her toes on the carpet.

"But it's just to talk about Mackey's and the things going on there. It's not a date or anything. I won't even go if you don't want me to."

Mandy furrowed her brows as the words spilled out of my mouth before she started to giggle.

"Girl I don't care. I've decided Zak's not my type anyway. He's to serious for me."

Shell and Mandy both laughed but I stared at her skeptically, trying to read her face.

"Really Jess. It's okay" she assured me, putting a hand on my shoulder "But just do me one favor.."

"What's that?"

She looked me up and down disapprovingly "Let me pick out your outfit."

We all laughed in unison and I threw my arms around the both of them.

"I'm sorry guys" I said again "It won't happen again. Anything that happens from here on out I won't keep from you."

"You're damn right you won't" Shelly patted my back harshly "You swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?" She mocked.

"Cross my heart" I said, making a X across my chest.

"Especially if you get laid."

Mandy's last comment caused us all to roar with laughter at her fake seriousness.

"It's not a date!" I yelled

"Who cares!." Mandy shot back "No strings attached is even better!"

"I don't know" Shell interrupted "Aaron told us they have stuff attached to them. It's possible you being with Zak might make it attach to you."

"An STD." the corners of Mandy's lips twitched upward in her attempt to stop a smile.

"STD?"

"Yeah. A spiritually transmitted disease."

She barely finished the last two words before we all erupted with laughter again. Laughing so hard I had to grab my stomach and wipe the tears peeking out of the corner of my eyes. I know I should have been more concerned with what was going on with myself. What would happen if things did not work out tonight and we had to leave in the morning. But right now, this moment of being silly with my friends, was what I really needed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The girls agreed to go over all the photos and video footage with me after I got a much needed nap. We also decided to reschedule all of our interviews till the next day. It took me awhile to get comfortable and calm enough to finally drift off to sleep but when I did it was peaceful and dreamless. Perhaps it was because I was still wearing my cross necklace or maybe whatever was trying to make itself known had given up and found something else to direct its negative energy upon. Maybe even conserving itself for when Zak and the guys showed up to Mackey's that night. Either way I was thankful for it. I woke up to the girls at my door and we went through all the pictures. After the promise I had made to the both of them about telling the truth, I told them all about the dream I had had the night before with Zak. They both sat on the edge of their seats for awhile as if I was reading an excerpt from a trashy novel. Up until I got to the part where I ended up immobile in the storage house of Mackey's and woke up with scratches on my body.

"A succubus?" Shelly asked.

"That's the only thing I could think it would be." Mandy said, scratching the side of her head "Have there been any reports of that kinda thing?"

"Not that I know of. But if there's demons there it's plausible." I flipped through the reports that I had copied before we had left for Mackey's "I'll have to ask Zak about that later."

A wide smile spread across Mandy's face as she glanced over at the digital clock on the nightstand of my room.

"That's right!" She squealed slapping her hands together "We have to get you ready!"

"It's not a date! It doesn't require a little black dress" I chuckled, getting off the bed and grabbing a pair of jeans and tank out of my suitcase "We're just talking about investigations and Mackey's and stuff."

Mandy picked up both items and eyed them disdainfully "Well for a man that has an affinity for black, you might want to go with a little black dress. Least it will give him something to look at while you talk about "work." She laughed, making quotes with her fingers.

I fixed up my hair and makeup while Shelly and Mandy dug through my clothes and even disappeared to their own rooms to raid their suitcases as well. When they finally settled on something, it was simple enough for me to agree to it. Capri jeans, a black silk tank top, and a pair of black stilettos I questioned if I would even be able to walk in. After a couple touch ups and their finale approval, Shell and Mandy left to go look through more of the footage with the plan of bothering Aaron and Nick once they got back. I sat on the side of my bed toying with my cross necklace while watching the sky turn dusty gold to pale pink then dark blue. Just as I was beginning to stress out not only over everything that had to be done before our investigation but going out with Zak when I should be prepping myself for work, there was a knock at the door. I rung my hands before turning the doorknob and felt them shake slightly as the lock released and the door opened. Zak stood there smiling, one hand leaning on the door frame the other on his hip. He gave me a once over and his eyebrows twitched up as he took a step back. He was in his typical black button down shirt and black jeans and I suddenly felt silly for letting the girls talk me into over dressing.

"You look…uh.." Zak shook his head like he were thinking of an appropriate word "Great."

"Thanks" I replied, turning to close the door behind me in the hopes he wouldn't notice the blush rising up in my in my cheeks.

"So" I shrugged "Where to?"

"Well there aren't a whole lotta choices in the area so I thought we'd go back to Pearl's. Besides, you left so quickly this morning you never got to try to food." he winked.

I tried to hold back a smile as we stepped onto the elevator but I'm sure he saw my lips turn up on one side. I rested back against my hands opposite Zak as we waited to make the short trip down to the first floor. His cologne permeated the enclosed space and the butterflies in my stomach reacted wildly again. I bit the corner of my bottom lip and focused instead on the numbers lighting up as the elevator descended while I thought of something to say.

"How did your walkthrough go today?"

"Honestly?" He gestured for me to walk out ahead of him when the doors opened up "We used to get evidence during interviews and the walkthrough but this time Mackey's was quiet again. Other investigators have even caught whatever spirits are in there calling us by name. Now we're here and…nothing."

I thought for a long moment as we walked through the parking lot.

"Well if you think that what happened to me this morning was something from Mackey's maybe it used up all it's energy. I'm sure that will change once the sun goes down."

"That's why I was hoping things went well with the girls today." Zak stopped outside the rickety café and looked over at me "I think if you're with us tonight we might be able to pick up on something. You won't be on camera like I said but you just being there might cause some activity."

I cocked my head to the side and tried to hide the hurt in my voice "Is that the whole reason you wanted to grab dinner tonight? So you could try to talk me into coming with you later?"

Zak's eyes grew wide at my sudden mood shift "N..No…No..that's not why."

"Well just so you know all you had to do was ask. You don't need to take me out and charm me." I scoffed.

"Oh?" he pulled back and wagged his eyebrows up and down "Am I charming you?"

I furrowed my brows and gave a breathy laugh as Zak took a couple steps closer and made sure I was looking at him.

"Maybe you should stop being so defensive."

I would have protested and said something shitty back if he didn't suddenly have both of his hands on each side of my face. His eyes were molded to mine and his face seemed serious and playful all at the same time.

"Maybe I wanted to go to dinner because I thought it might be interesting to talk to you instead of arguing with you. Maybe I'm curious to talk to another investigator and find out what led them to pursue this field. Maybe I saw a beautiful girl outside of a storage house yesterday and thought I could be a guy instead of a television celebrity and ask her out." he said, leaning in further.

"And when she said no you decided to ask me?"

Zak stopped and looked at me confused till he saw the smile spreading across my face in wake of my sarcasm and chuckled to himself.

"Ahhh…She has a sense of humor" He prodded.

I tossed him a grin over my shoulder as I threw open the rusty door to the diner. The tummy butterflies sprung back into flight. I was flirting with Zak.

The overly excited hostess sat us at a table in the back of the restaurant but it did nothing to deter Zak's celebrity with the locals that were there. A few asked for autographs and commended him on his Bobby Mackey's episodes, while others shyly asked for photos. I was given a few curious looks but was written off dismissively once Zak flashed his smile and agreed to their requests. When the excitement finally died down and he very graciously bowed out of the small group. Zak took a seat across from me at the two top table.

"Sorry about that"

"Must be nice to get noticed for your work" I smiled, scanning over my menu "Don't think I could ever get used to that though."

"Took awhile but it makes me know that people are watching the show and learning about the paranormal"

I looked over a table of younger girls whispering and giggling to one another while snapping pictures with their cell phones.

"Hmm" I hummed "Yes, I'm sure the sixteen year old girls watch the show strictly for the history and evidence you gather."

Zak cocked his head to the side and grinned "Is that more sarcasm or do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

I frowned and held up the menu in front of my face so he couldn't see the rose color forming once again on my cheeks.

After we ordered, Zak and I made general conversation about random things, where we grew up, how we got into studying the paranormal. Zak opened up to me about how he had lost his grandmother a few years ago and how important she was to him so he understood the connection I had with my grandmother. I was surprised that up until this morning I had thought this man was a hoax making a mockery of our field. Imagine my surprise to find out he was not only sincere but got that same gleam in his eye I would get when talking about my passion.

"Well.." Zak leaned forward in his chair and propped his elbows on the table "Here's the million dollar question. Why Bobby Mackey's Music World? Why not investigate a place like, Oh I don't know, Magnolia Lane Plantation or Villisca Axe Murder House? Those places have a ton of history and activity."

I played with a stray strand of hair and pulled my bottom lip through my teeth. Had I have been talking to anyone else I probably would have kept my reasons to myself and the girls, but the way Zak looked at me with genuine interest made it almost impossible to hold back.

"You know that book that I was carrying the other night about cults?"

He nodded.

"I think the reason that Mackey's is so haunted by not just spirits but the demonic, is because the history of child sacrifice."

I looked at him through veiled lashes and he motioned for me to continue.

"Whether it's folklore or not, Pearl Bryan was pregnant when she was murdered and allegedly beheaded by her Satanist boyfriend and his best friend. In the 1930's Johanna was pregnant when she committed suicide after killing her father. When Bobby first bought the place his wife Janet was pregnant when something tried to push her down the stairs and she claimed she saw the face of Scott Jackson behind her."

Zak looked intrigued as he waited patiently for me to continue.

"Everything I've read up on about occults seems to center around sacrifice. Human sacrifice. There's no greater sacrifice than that of a child. Especially a baby. Pure, innocent and untouched. I think that's what has kept that place so active through out the years. I think that's what has given it the power it seems to have. I think that's why Janet Mackey was targeted. She fell down the stairs and nearly had a miscarriage. I think Mackey's is being fueled by the innocence of the…"

I looked over at Zak's blank face and suddenly felt like I had said more than I should have.

"Sorry"

"No. No. Don't be sorry" Zak assured and reached over to touch my hand lying on the table "I think that's an amazing theory. Didn't think about that actually."

I grinned and pulled my hand out from under his. What was I doing? Starting to fall for a guy I considered the enemy? Was this all a game to him too maybe? Keep me distracted from what I should be doing with sweet words and false understanding? I kept my comments to myself as Zak and I ate our anything but healthy fried southern food. Even if my emotions were working against me, I couldn't deny there was a chemistry between us. We laughed and joked and shared stories about investigations. It had me feeling disappointed when Zak's eyes grew big when he checked his watch and quickly asked for the check.

"I really don't want to have to leave but we have to be at Mackey's in an hour and I have to get the guys together and help load up the equipment."

"I understand"

I stood up from the table and pushed in my chair, nearly jumping when I felt Zak's hand on my lower back. I thought again about my dream the night before and wondered if Zak's touch would feel the same as it did then. We walked through the parking lot and into the hotel barely saying anything in comparison to the banter inside the diner. I couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking the same thing I was. We stopped outside the door to my room and smiled at one another awkwardly.

"Well I'm gonna have to go find the girls and see if they are still up for going tonight. They're still not very happy with me regardless of what they say." I shrugged.

Zak smiled and put his hand on the wall behind my head, leaning in close "I don't think I've ever met a woman that didn't change her mind all the time."

"Have experience with that do you?"

"Well I might be going out on a line on this one but I think you changed your mind about me." He reached out and ran a strand of my hair between his fingers.

"Oh you think so do yo.."

I was cut off when Zak's lips captured mine. Gentle and soft. Gauging my reaction before reaching up and placing his hand to my cheek when I returned the kiss. My eyes were still partially closed when he pulled away and gave me a rather cocky smile.

"Yeah" He said softly "I have reasons to believe."

Zak pulled away and shoved his hands in his pockets. He walked backwards down the hall "Hopefully I'll see you tonight" He waved, before turning back around and disappearing around the corner of the hall.

I could no longer contain the smile stretching wider on my face. I felt like a girl that had just gotten that kiss she had been dreaming about. Letting out a happy sigh, I stuck the card in the lock and opened the door to my room. When it clicked behind me I leaned back and ran my fingers across my lips, smiling to myself. This wasn't a dream and I could still feel Zak's soft lips against mine. I covered my mouth fully with my hand to stop the girlish squeal that threatened to escape from behind my lips. Before I could drop my things to my bed, there was a loud knock at my door that made me jump. I grinned wider knowing it was probably the girls waiting to hear everything that had happened, or it was Zak hoping to make the moment even more memorable. I threw the door open and was surprised to find my doorway empty. Furrowing my brows, I looked back and forth down the quiet hallway.

"Zak? Mandy?" I took a few steps out and looked back and forth "Shell? Is that you?"

The sound of the ice machine at the opposite end was the only thing that answered back as I paused and waited for an answer. I walked back into my room and the minute the door shut behind me was practically knocked over with an overpowering rotten smell. I covered my mouth to keep the bile down that threatened to make it's way up my throat.

"_Jessica"_

My eyes scanned the room and I fell back against the door in shock. I didn't know the voice. It wasn't familiar. It was far from friendly and _the_ hair rose on the back of my neck as my breath became visible.

"Whose there?"

I locked on to figure that looked to be sitting on the windowsill on the opposite side of the room. It hissed and laughed. Gravelly and sadistically as it slid from the frame and dropped to the ground on all fours. I couldn't scream. Couldn't move. I couldn't even lift my arm to try to find the doorknob and run into the hallway. The shadow figure crawled slowly across the floor towards me. Its shoulder blades pumping up and down with each movement like a jungle cat. The closer it moved the more my stomach lurched and my fear soared to a level I never thought possible. It stopped short a few feet in front of me and a tear slid down my cheek.

_Mine now_ was the last thing I heard before everything went black.


	7. The Wolf

_We've Been Calling_

_Black Paw Who's soaring_

_We Go Out In The Morning_

_Down The Trail_

_To Somewhere_

_You Are The Sound That I Hear_

_You Are The Sound That I Hear_

_We Are Not Standing _

_We Are Falling_

…_..Fever Ray (The Wolf)_

_**Chapter 7**_

There was a ringing in my ears. A sound so loud I could feel it reverberate down my spine. My breath was coming out in short steady bursts and the warmth of it came back to hit me in the face. My cheek was pushed up against something solid but cushioned by a soft scratchy material. My eyes shifted back and forth behind my lids in a fight to open up and see where I was. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth made me very aware that I was not dreaming. The ringing in my ears was quickly replaced by a pounding noise. It sounding hollow yet thunderous all at the same time. Like someone was calling up to me from the bottom of a well.

_BOOM _

_BOOM_

_BOOM_

"_Jess? Zak and the guys just left for Mackey's! You need to give us an explanation of why Zak is grinning like an idiot!"_

Mackey's. I have to go to Mackey's tonight. No. I NEED to go to Mackey's tonight. Something felt like it was literally pulling me to go there and I felt as if this sinking sensation inside me wouldn't go away until I was surrounding by the crumbling walls of the storage house.

_BOOM _

_BOOM_

_BOOM_

"_Come on Jess! If we're going to go we gotta go now!"_

"_Yeah so put your clothes back on!"_

My eyes cracked open to the sound of laughter. It took me just a moment to figure out that I somehow had ended up on the floor of my hotel room. I sat up and looked around, gently running my finger tips down the side of my face that had been pushed to the textured carpet. Once upright, my stomach immediately rebelled with itself and I was barely able to make it across the way to the bathroom before emptying the contents. I flushed the toilet and leaned back against the wall, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand while trying to catch my breath. My hands shook as I gripped the edge of the counter top and pulled myself up to look in the mirror. The right side of my face was red as if someone had slapped me and my eye makeup was slightly smeared. I turned the faucet on and let the cold water run for a moment before loading it into my cupped hand and pouring it into my mouth.

"What happened?" I asked my reflection.

_BOOM _

_BOOM_

_BOOM_

"_Jessica! Come on! It's not funny anymore. Open up!"_

I jumped at the sound of Shelly's stern pleads and ran my fingers under my eyes to wipe away the black smudges. When I finally opened the door, I was met with two very concerned faces.

"Jesus are you okay?" Mandy asked trying to look at my face.

"Pearl's diner should advertise how quickly you can get food poisoning from them." I grinned "Sorry I got lightheaded when I got to the room and I think I actually might have passed out for a moment there. Either way I just got rid of everything I ate so I feel better."

"Lightheaded and puking? Sounds like love to me" Mandy joked and pushed some loose strands of hair behind my ear.

"You sure you're okay? We don't have to do this ya know. If your getting sick or something maybe you should rest and we'll go to Mackey's tomor…"

"NO!" I practically yelled at Shelly causing her to jump at my tone "I mean..I feel fine now. I'm okay, really"

I could hear my phone going off in my purse on the bed and Mandy reached over to grab it, checking the ID on the front of it. The tight smile returned to her face as she passed it to me.

"It's your loverboy"

I rolled my eyes at her and tried to control my smirk while I snatched my cell from her open palm.

"Hello"

I turned around and walked over to the window in the hopes Zak wouldn't hear the kissing noises the girls were making while imitating inappropriate sexual acts on my bed and laughing wildly.

"Hey" Zak's deep voice sent a pleasant chill down my spine that made me forget all about what had happened after he had left and brought me right back to the kiss moments before "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah everything is fine." I figured Zak must have heard them in the background and I picked up a book to launch at the two goofballs "I think Shell and Mandy have had a little too much Redbull and not enough sleep."

"No. Not them. Is everything okay with you?"

The concern that laced Zak's tone had me slightly taken aback "Yeah I'm fine. Actually just felt a little sick when we got back from Pearl's but other than that I'm fine. Just been awhile since I've had that much fried.."

"What happened before you got sick Jess?"

"Well.." I turned away from the girls and dropped the volume of my voice "I'm pretty sure that was you with me in the hallway."

Zak let out a breathy chuckle over the phone but his tone remained the same "As flattered as I am that you associate me with getting sick, what happened after I left. Have you had any of those feelings you felt last night. Any bad energy?"

I licked my lips and pulled them into a tight line while I thought about it. "Not that I remember." The cross around my neck tingled against the tight skin on my chest and I scratched at it in annoyance.

"Look, We're not getting out of the bar for another hour before we get locked into the storage house but we caught an EVP I think you should hear. I just don't know how I feel about you girls coming to Mackey's tonight. Maybe we should…"

"We're coming!" the moment I heard Mackey's I felt an instant pull at my stomach. The very idea that Zak would try to keep me away from a place I had traveled all this way for made me automatically suspicious of his previous intentions and that made me angry. I could hear Zak sigh in defeat at the other end.

"Alright" he said hesitantly "Come down whenever you're ready. Just.." There was a dramatic pause and I could almost hear Zak chewing on his bottom lip "Be careful"

The call ended and I stared down at the background of my phone. A picture of Shelly, Mandy and I from one of our first investigations at a home in Michigan. We had stayed at a old bed and breakfast that was on the lake and the owner had taken a moment to get a photo of the three of us in front of the water.

"No I love you more!" Mandy squealed

"No baby I love you!" Shelly said back, giving her best Zak impersonation.

"We have to go" I ignored them both and walked passed the bed, grabbing my room key off the dresser.

"Well damn we were just messing around." Shelly raised an eyebrow and shot Mandy a surprised look at the sudden irritation in my voice.

"We have to go" I repeated

"Well let me change really quick. I've been sweating all day in this.."

"No time. We have to go now." I cut Mandy off and swung the room to my door open, holding it ajar till they got off the bed and slowly walked out of the room.

"Talk about sensitive" Shelly mumbled as she passed me.

I started to follow them out of the room when I paused in the doorway. I watched as the girls strolled to the elevator whispering over what I assumed was their annoyance with me. Walking back into my room, I unhooked the cross necklace from around my neck and tossed it onto the nightstand.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

When we arrived in the parking lot of Mackey's I noticed a tall tented area that had not been there the other day. There were dim lights glowing from the inside and the closer we got I could hear the sound of clicking as if someone were on a computer. Shelly and Mandy walked in first and I caught a glimpse of two men I hadn't seen before. I stopped short of the tent flap and stared at the old bar. It sat like a predator in the middle of the open lot. Scary and intriguing all at once. My feet almost mechanically began to move towards it as if it were calling out to me.

"Jess come here and meet the guys."

Shelly's voice froze me in my tracks and I shook my head to try to get a hold of myself. I walked in to two men staring at my curiously while seated in front of laptops with headphones resting on their shoulders.

"Jess, this is Billy and Jay. They do the visual and audio for the show."

I forced a smile on my face and reached out for the first man's extended hand. He was wearing a backwards hat and a black shirt with DW embroidered in white gothic lettering on the pocket.

"Billy Tolley" He smiled, taking my hand in his.

"Jess Blades" I said tightly, pulling my hand back quickly.

Billy cocked his head to the side and looked passed me at Shelly who shrugged in return.

The man sitting next to Billy was taller and lanky. He had disheveled hair and a unkempt beard. He rose slightly from his chair "Jay" He gave a partial wave before returning his eyes to the screen in front of him.

I followed his stare to the flat screens. The night vision was ironically blinding in comparison to the darkness of the tent and my eyes took a second to adjust. I could hear voices but nobody was visible in the many cameras set up. Billy reached over and grabbed a walkie talkie next to the computer.

"Hey Zak you there?"

The walkie answered with static till it finally beeped and the wings in my tummy fluttered at the sound of the voice on the other end.

"Go ahead Billy." Zak replied back.

"The girls from Chicago Paranormal are here. Matt is on his way to let you out." Billy said into the speaker.

"Alright. Don't show Jess anything till I get back. Loading up now."

Billy tossed me a look over his shoulder and placed the walkie back on the table. I couldn't help but smile when I saw Zak's broad back show up on one of the screens. He turned around and looked into the camera.

"Hello ladies" He smiled

I could hear Mandy and Shelly giggle in unison. Aaron showed up on another camera. The top of his bald head showing up first before steadily rising upward till it hit his open mouth.

"Dork" Mandy whispered.

I couldn't help but notice the way she grinned at the camera as Aaron worked on taking it apart. Maybe her interests had changed since the other day. I heard the sharp sound of a camera shutting off and looked back to the screens. With every video that clicked off I felt the need to rush to the door of Mackey's as if it were the last time I would be able to see it. I dug my fingertips into the side of my leg to try to stop me from leaving.

"There's Matt" Jay said pointing the screen filming outside the bar.

My pulse quickened when I saw Nick, Aaron and Zak give Matt a handshake as they exited with some of their equipment in hand. We watched as they spoke briefly in the background and Aaron approached the camera to shut it off. All the screens went blank and I wanted to scream in disappointment.

"Geez it's like fifty degrees hotter out here than in Mackey's. That place is like a freezer."

Everyone turned to see Nick walk into the tent. He set his camera down and rolled his head from side to side.

"How did you guys do? Get anything?" Shelly asked.

"Yeah we got something" we all jumped at the sound of Zak's voice as he entered the tent. His usual breezy attitude was overshadowed by the look of concern on his face as he wiped the beads of perspiration from his forehead "Billy can you bring up the EVP session at 2:30 from in the bar? Jess can I talk to you really quick?"

It wasn't a request so much as a command as Zak held up the tent flap for me to follow him outside. The only thought in my head was that outside the tent was one step closer to Mackey's. I could almost see the tension in Zak's muscles when he turned to me and folded his large arms across his chest.

"Don't go in there Jess. It's not safe"

I rolled my eyes and threw my hands up in the air "Zak, I'm not having this conversation with you again. I came here.."

"It wants you Jess." Zak said sharply, cutting me off "I don't know why or for what reason but it knows your name and it knows you're here."

"How do you..What's it..I don't.." I stuttered over my words, so many questions fogging up my already cloudy mind.

"If you go in there bad things are going to happen. Not just to you but probably to Shelly and Mandy too. I'm going to call Father Long in the morning and take you and the girls to go see him. It's the only thing I can think of to do for your safety."

The lump forming in my throat was making it impossible to talk. If anything happened to Mandy or Shelly it would be my fault. I put them in this position. I squeezed my eyes shut as a tear made it's way down my cheek. The breath practically left my body when Zak reached out and crushed me to his chest in a tight hug. He held me close and ran a strong hand back and forth on my back.

"It's alright sweetheart." He soothed "I'm going to do everything I can for you." When I gained back my composure, Zak pulled away and cupped my face in his hands. He gently kissed my forehead and met my eyes while wiping away the remaining moisture on my cheek "I can't promise you anything. I wish I could. We might not be able to get it to detach itself completely but we can at least get you some protection."

I nodded and tried to give my bravest face but failed miserably. I went to pull away but Zak's hand shot out and grabbed mine. His eyes narrowed and his finger jabbed me square in the middle of my chest.

"Where's the cross Jess?" His once tranquil soft voice giving way to irritation.

I stumble over my words again and slapped the palm of my hand over the chest. His jaw tightened as he put his hands on his hips.

"Jess?" Zak and I both looked over at Mandy standing in the entrance to the tent. Her face looked pale and she seemed visibly shaken "I think you need to hear this."

I gave Zak one last look before turning on my heel and heading back into the tent. Aaron, Nick, Billy and Jay were all gathered closely together in front of Billy's laptop and Mandy and Shelly were both pacing behind them. Shelly folded her arms across her chest and rubbed her lips together.

"Show her" She didn't take her eyes off me as I walked over and looked down at the screen.

Zak took a seat next to Billy and everyone waited for the clip to come up.

"_Why are you so quiet all of the sudden? Are you not happy we're here?" _Zak's voice sounded fuzzy coming out of the speakers of the laptop._"We know you can do better than just a couple of bumps and bangs!"_

The volume of the static increased and flickered a couple of times before the voice I had heard every night since first visiting Mackey's filled the tent.

"…_Jessica….Want…."_

"_Dude! Did I hear what I just think I heard?" _Aaron said in the background.

"_Aaron shut up." _Zak reprimanded _"Did you just say you want Jessica?"_

Another few minutes of silence

"…_..Want…..Jessica…Ours….."_

My eyes grew big and it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Mandy and Shell both looked at me with sheer fear painted on their faces. I had never seen them look that way before. Even when we were heading into locations that were known to be demonically influenced, I never even saw them flinch. Now I could see the panic behind their eyes. Zak slid the mouse away from Billy and stopped the feed, watching me out of the corner of his eye.

"We have it on video as well" One of the computer screens clicked on and Zak ran the video. Again, everyone's attention was drawn to the screen but I was finding it hard to focus with the pounding of my heart ringing in my ears. It was difficult to breathe and I felt dizzy and sick. A chill rushed across my skin and I wrapped my arms around myself while taking a few steps back from everyone else.

"_Jessy"_

I jumped and looked over my shoulder at the blank tarp behind me. The space was empty but I could have sworn someone had said my name. It wasn't the audio being played. It was coming from inside the tent. Shelly, Mandy and the guys were all focused on what was in front of them and none seemed to be even slightly phased at by the voice. Maybe it wasn't loud enough for them to hear. Maybe it was because their attention was elsewhere. Or maybe it was because only I would know who the voice belonged to.

"Grandma?" my voice barely even audible to myself.

"_Storage house. So dark in here. Can't get out. Help me get out."_

I took a few steps back towards the tent flap, pausing only for a brief moment when Jay turned around and looked a me split second. Everyone was occupied and that gave me enough time to slip out. My body moved on its own through the darkness and towards the storage house. It was as if someone other than myself was controlling my movement and I had no choice but to be taken along. The ice cold air encircled my body and grew increasingly chillier the closer I got. I stopped outside the door and watched as it cracked open.

"Jess? Jess?!"

Whatever string of coherency I had left heard Zak's voice calling from behind me. The desire and curiosity to step over the threshold outweighing concern for my own safety. I walked into the darkness and turned around to see Zak, Nick, Aaron and the girls running full speed towards me.

"JESS! JESS GET OUT OF THERE!" Shelly screamed.

I tilted my head to the side. Why were they worried. I was doing this for them. If it had me it didn't need them. If it had me maybe I could see my grandmother. I could make this all go away for them and maybe even find answers to the questions I had been seeking. I looked up and was surprised to see them freeze in their tracks with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry" I whispered.

The door slammed shut on its own and I was alone in the darkness of the storage house.

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Thanks SO much for the reviews guys. Keep them coming I want your input on the story. Special thank to IfYouLoveMe for making me aware of my computers Autocorrect of Kings of Leon to Kings of LEAN LOL! The next chapter is going to be switched up a bit from Jess' POV to Zak's. Stay tuned. XOXOXOXOX**


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